Cobalt Chrome Spinal Constructs Trigger Airport Security Screening in 24% of Pediatric Patients

Retrospective study.

To determine whether pediatric patients undergo additional airport security screening after posterior spinal fusion.

Airport security has expanded to include body scanners as well as traditional metal detectors. Families frequently ask whether spinal implants will trigger airport security, but there is limited information on modern implants and screening methods.

The researchers conducted a survey of 50 pediatric patients after posterior spinal fusion from 2004 to 2013. Inclusion criteria were posterior instrumentation, pedicle screws for at least 80% of anchors, and at least 1 trip through an American airport after surgery. Charts and radiographs were reviewed for metal type, number of levels fused, number of anchors, and rod diameter.

A total of 16% of patients (8 of 50) were detected by body scan or metal detector and all had cobalt chrome (CoCr) rods. No patients with stainless-steel (SS) rods were detected. The CoCr rods triggered additional screening in 24% of children (8 of 33), compared with none of 17 with SS rods (p = .03). For patients with CoCr rods, the detection rate was 18% (5 of 28) by metal detector and 17% (3 of 18) by body scanner. For patients with CoCr rods, there was no significant difference between detection rates and levels fused (p = .30), number of anchors (p = .15), or rod diameter (p = .17).

In this series, CoCr constructs were more likely to incur additional airport security compared with more traditional SS constructs.