Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods: Influence on Intraoperative Fluoroscopic Imaging: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Medical Imaging
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Congenital scoliosis requires innovative surgical solutions.
• Thoracic insufficiency syndrome poses significant risks.
• Magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) offer a less invasive approach for spinal deformities.

Observation:

• During MCGR placement, an artifactual S-distortion was noted in the rod actuator on intraoperative fluoroscopy.
• This imaging artifact was observed in a 7-year-old boy with severe congenital scoliosis.

Findings:

• The S-distortion artifact was attributed to the magnetic fields generated by the MCGR actuator interacting with the image intensifier.
• Moving the image intensifier away from the patient successfully eliminated the observed artifact.

Implications:

• Surgeons utilizing MCGR technology must be aware of potential magnetic field interference with imaging equipment.
• This awareness can prevent misinterpretation of imaging results and ensure accurate surgical assessment.
• This represents the first reported instance of MCGR-induced imaging artifacts, highlighting a novel consideration in spinal instrumentation procedures.