Comparing radiation exposure during percutaneous vertebroplasty using one- vs. two-fluoroscopic technique

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Medical Physics
• Surgical Techniques

Background:

• Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) traditionally involves lengthy fluoroscopic guidance, leading to significant radiation exposure.
• The two-fluoroscopic technique offers simultaneous two-planar imaging, potentially reducing procedure time.
• Concerns exist regarding increased radiation doses with the two-fluoroscopic technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare patient and operator radiation exposure during PV using one- vs. two-fluoroscopic techniques.
• To evaluate the impact of the two-fluoroscopic technique on operative time.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 26 single-level PV procedures.
• Radiation doses measured using dosimeters on patients and operators.
• Procedures were allocated to either one-fluoroscopic (13 patients) or two-fluoroscopic (13 patients) technique groups.

Main Results:

• The two-fluoroscopic technique group showed significantly lower mean patient radiation dose (0.95 mSv) compared to the one-fluoroscopic group (1.97 mSv) (P=0.031).
• Mean operator radiation dose was comparable between the one-fluoroscopic (0.27 mSv) and two-fluoroscopic (0.25 mSv) groups (P=0.653).
• Operative time was significantly reduced with the two-fluoroscopic technique (36.62 min) versus the one-fluoroscopic technique (47.15 min) (P=0.019).

Conclusions:

• The two-fluoroscopic technique in PV is associated with reduced patient radiation exposure.
• Shorter operative times were achieved using the two-fluoroscopic technique.
• Operator radiation exposure did not differ significantly between the one- and two-fluoroscopic techniques.