[Radiation protection in spine surgery: an example of reliable and reproducible means]

During spine surgery, the use of imaging is increasingly systematic, exposing medical and nursing staff to ionizing radiation, which is correlated with an increasing carcinogenic risk, as highlighted by the WHO. Robotic systems allow a decrease of this exposure but are expensive and complicated. Reliable, cost-effective, and simple alternatives including a radiographer specialized in radiation protection, a portable radiation shield and a modification of radioscopy system were evaluated in our facility. Surface (Hs), depth (Hp) and lens (Hc) exposure data were analyzed from April 2018 to April 2021. Our results are globally conclusive for all of them, with an average decrease of 47,2% for Hc.