Aims The needles that are currently used for obtaining bone marrow aspirate samples from the posterior ilium are typically those of 1930s vintage (eg, Klima, Salah or similar needles), which were specifically designed for sternal aspiration. These needles are not designed to obtain bone marrow aspirate samples from the posterior ilium and as a result they are unsatisfactory particularly if the patient is large or obese. A new posterior iliac puncture/aspiration needle has therefore been designed, which is particularly suited for bone marrow aspiration from the posterior ilium.

Methods The needle was tested on five cadavers and on five patients.

Results The design and construction of the needle was found to be satisfactory and a marked improvement over the conventional sternal puncture needles particularly when large or obese patients were concerned.

Conclusions The new posterior iliac bone marrow aspiration needle has advantages that overcome the limitations of using a conventional sternal puncture needle to obtain marrow aspirates from the posterior ilium.