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Optimisation of scoliosis examinations in children

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Abstract

Objective

To present results of optimising scoliosis examination by changing from a conventional film/grid (F/G) to air-gap technique using computed radiography (CR), and to evaluate different methods for estimating effective radiation doses.

Materials and methods

Forty-nine children and adolescents were examined with an F/G technique, and 21 with air-gap and CR techniques. Entrance surface doses (ESD) were determined with lithium fluoride thermoluminescence dosimeters. For all patients, the effective radiation doses were determined using a hermaphrodite PCXMC computer program. For all F/G radiographs, the effective doses were also determined according to the NRPB-R279 report, and for 22 children (>9 years and/or >40 kg) also with the ODS-60 program, which allows separate gender calculations. Accumulated doses for 37 children examined more than once with F/G examinations were assessed.

Results

For F/G techniques, the ESDs for both frontal and lateral views varied with age and were significantly correlated to the patients' thickness. The calculated effective doses using the PCXMC program and the NRPB-R279 did not differ significantly for all frontal and lateral radiographs, respectively, but ODS-60 gave significantly higher values in female subjects. With air-gap and CR techniques, the mean effective doses were reduced by a factor over 10. The mean accumulated effective dose for 37 children with a mean of seven F/G examinations was 6.1 mSv, implying a risk of death of about 1:2,000 for boys and at least 1:1,000 for girls.

Conclusions

Paediatric scoliosis radiography should be considered a specialised procedure, which has to be optimised using a non-grid technique.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff of radiographers and nurses of our department of radiology for their contribution to and continuous enthusiasm and interest in the radiation-saving procedures of diagnostic radiology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus Kommunehospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    Jolanta Hansen

  2. Department of Radiology R, Aarhus Kommunehospital, Noerrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Anne Grethe Jurik, Bente Fiirgaard & Niels Egund

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  1. Jolanta Hansen
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  2. Anne Grethe Jurik
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Correspondence to Anne Grethe Jurik.

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Hansen, J., Jurik, A.G., Fiirgaard, B. et al. Optimisation of scoliosis examinations in children. Pediatr Radiol 33, 752–765 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-003-1015-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-003-1015-5

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