Abstract: A stylet-free epidural catheter for insertion into a patient via a needle defining proximally a needle hub and distally a needle tip, includes a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body connecting the ends. The body defines therealong a stiffening section of a predetermined length disposed a predetermined distance proximally of the distal end such that it is located generally about an area where the body approaches a needle hub when the distal end approaches a needle tip. The stiffening section has a flexural stiffness at least twice that of the remainder of the body. A thread assist device to reduce buckling of a catheter being inserted through a needle, includes a body defining a TAD proximal end, a TAD distal end substantially spaced apart along a longitudinal axis from the TAD proximal end, and a TAD sidewall connecting the TAD ends.