Radiation doses to patients during pedicle screw fixation of the spine

Objective. To analyze the radiation doses to patients during spinal decompression and stabilization surgery under optical CT navigation and fluoroscopy.

Material and Methods. Study design: retrospective cohort study. The sample consisted of 164 patients who underwent transpedicular fixation of the spine performed by percutaneous or open techniques. In the O-arm group (n = 109), cone-beam CT combined with optical navigation was used; in the C-arm group, fluoroscopy (n = 55) was used. The effective dose equivalent (EDE) and the maximum absorbed dose (MAD) in the skin were evaluated.

Results. EDE in the O-arm group was Me 9.1 mSv, [IQR: 7.1–11.6], and in the C-arm group –Me 1.8 mSv [IQR: 1.8–5.6], p < 0.0001. Maximum absorbed dose in the skin in the O-arm group was Me 49.3 mGy [IQR: 27.0–96.9], and in the C-arm group – Me 36.1 mGy [IQR: 16.6–111.5], p = 0.424.

Conclusion. The use of CT navigation and fluoroscopy during pedicle screw fixation of the spine is not associated with the risk of developing deterministic effects. The use of intraoperative CT navigation during pedicle screw fixation is associated with a greater patient EDE compared with that of fluoroscopy (p < 0.05). Differences in EDE received by patients undergoing open and percutaneous techniques of pedicle screw fixation are statistically insignificant, regardless of the type of beam guidance and the number of fixation levels. The number of intraoperative CT scans is proportional to the patient EDE (p = 0.018).

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