Radiation exposure during pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture surgery
Does radiation exposure during pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture surgery change according to the C-arm position? A comparison of two different techniques.
Injury. 2023 01-Oct:. 10.1016/j.injury.2023.110962Twenty children (mean age 6.7 years) with Gartland type III supracondylar humerus fractures were randomized to surgery using either a uniplanar (inverted) C-arm configuration or a biplanar configuration. Five senior surgeons each performed four cases, two using each configuration. Dosimeters were placed on the surgeon’s wrist (direct radiation), neck, and waist (scatter). The primary outcomes were radiation exposure at each site. Secondary outcomes included fluoroscopy exposure time and total operative time. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the uniplanar (inverted) configuration produced significantly longer fluoroscopy exposure times, whereas the biplanar configuration resulted in significantly longer operative durations. Waist and wrist radiation did not differ between groups. These findings indicate that surgeon radiation exposure—especially to the neck—can be reduced by using a biplanar configuration.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics