Assessment of radiation exposure in balloon kyphoplasty using a new navigation system

Study design: Randomized controlled trials of conventional and laser-navigated technology techniques for balloon kyphoplasty were carried out. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a new laser navigation system in reducing the radiation dose in balloon kyphoplasty procedures. Material and methods: Sixty-seven randomized controlled trials involving a total of 75 lumbar vertebrae were treated. Thirty-four vertebrae were treated by regular fluoroscopic imaging alone, and the other 41 vertebrae were treated using the new laser navigation system. For each procedure the fluoroscopy dosage was documented using a Hitachi-Aloka Medical external dosimeter. The operation time was recorded. Results: The amount of radiation exposure in the control group was 870.59 ± 134.27 μSv. A significant reduction of the fluoroscopy usage in the navigated group was detected (503.5 ± 70.0 μSv (p < .0001)). In the control group, the average procedure time was 51.47 ± 8.30 minutes. The average procedure time in the navigated group was significantly reduced (39.26 ± 5.87 minutes (p < .0001)). Conclusion: The laser positioning and navigation system is an effective solution for reducing radiation exposure in balloon kyphoplasty. The increased technical effort may lead to a significant decrease of procedure time. The clinical trial No.: ChiCTR-INR-17013051.