PURPOSE: This study investigated whether ultrasound (U/S) is an alternative to radiography when measuring magnetically controlled growth rod (MCGR) length in order to reduce radiation exposure. Distractible spinal growth rods are the gold standard when treating early-onset scoliosis (EOS). METHODS: This was a prospective series. Patients were already undergoing EOS treatment using MCGRs. Forty-eight data points measured using radiography and U/S were compared. Each U/S data point was measured three times by three observers to assess intra- and inter-observer reliability. The radiation dose of the pre-lengthening and post-lengthening radiographs was recorded. RESULTS: The average rod lengths were 1.322 cm with U/S and 1.329 cm with radiography. The ICC (radiography vs. U/S) was 0.992 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.976, 1.000). The inter- and intra-rater reliability of U/S had an ICC of 0.987 (95 % CI 0.966, 1.000) and 0.983 (95 % CI 0.956, 1.000), respectively. The mean total effective radiation dose of the pre-lengthening and post-lengthening PA spinal radiographs was 0.26 mSv with a mean attributable lifetime cancer risk of one in 39,686 per lengthening. CONCLUSION: U/S highly agrees with radiography when measuring MCGR length. It has a high inter- and intra-observer reliability and does not require radiation exposure. Although U/S allows accurate MCGR measurement and soft tissue assessment, patients will still need occasional radiographs to assess spine bony elements, overall spinal balance and scoliosis correction. Combining radiography and U/S allows patient monitoring and accurate MCGR measurement whilst decreasing patients' radiation exposure.
PURPOSE: This study investigated whether ultrasound (U/S) is an alternative to radiography when measuring magnetically controlled growth rod (MCGR) length in order to reduce radiation exposure. Distractible spinal growth rods are the gold standard when treating early-onset scoliosis (EOS). METHODS: This was a prospective series. Patients were already undergoing EOS treatment using MCGRs. Forty-eight data points measured using radiography and U/S were compared. Each U/S data point was measured three times by three observers to assess intra- and inter-observer reliability. The radiation dose of the pre-lengthening and post-lengthening radiographs was recorded. RESULTS: The average rod lengths were 1.322 cm with U/S and 1.329 cm with radiography. The ICC (radiography vs. U/S) was 0.992 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.976, 1.000). The inter- and intra-rater reliability of U/S had an ICC of 0.987 (95 % CI 0.966, 1.000) and 0.983 (95 % CI 0.956, 1.000), respectively. The mean total effective radiation dose of the pre-lengthening and post-lengthening PA spinal radiographs was 0.26 mSv with a mean attributable lifetime cancer risk of one in 39,686 per lengthening. CONCLUSION: U/S highly agrees with radiography when measuring MCGR length. It has a high inter- and intra-observer reliability and does not require radiation exposure. Although U/S allows accurate MCGR measurement and soft tissue assessment, patients will still need occasional radiographs to assess spine bony elements, overall spinal balance and scoliosis correction. Combining radiography and U/S allows patient monitoring and accurate MCGR measurement whilst decreasing patients' radiation exposure.
Authors: Robert M Campbell; Melvin D Smith; Thomas C Mayes; John A Mangos; Donna B Willey-Courand; Nusret Kose; Ricardo F Pinero; Marden E Alder; Hoa L Duong; Jennifer L Surber Journal: J Bone Joint Surg Am Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 5.284
Authors: B A Hickey; C Towriss; G Baxter; S Yasso; S James; A Jones; J Howes; P Davies; S Ahuja Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2014-01-11 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: Behrooz A Akbarnia; David S Marks; Oheneba Boachie-Adjei; Alistair G Thompson; Marc A Asher Journal: Spine (Phila Pa 1976) Date: 2005-09-01 Impact factor: 3.468
Authors: Shay Bess; Behrooz A Akbarnia; George H Thompson; Paul D Sponseller; Suken A Shah; Hazem El Sebaie; Oheneba Boachie-Adjei; Lawrence I Karlin; Sarah Canale; Connie Poe-Kochert; David L Skaggs Journal: J Bone Joint Surg Am Date: 2010-10-01 Impact factor: 5.284
Authors: Behrooz A Akbarnia; Lee M Breakwell; David S Marks; Richard E McCarthy; Alistair G Thompson; Sarah K Canale; Patricia N Kostial; Anant Tambe; Marc A Asher Journal: Spine (Phila Pa 1976) Date: 2008-04-20 Impact factor: 3.468
Authors: Kar Hao Teoh; Abdul Nazeer Moideen; Kausik Mukherjee; Sridhar Kamath; Stuart H James; Alwyn Jones; John Howes; Paul R Davies; Sashin Ahuja Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2020-02-25 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: Vasiliki C Panagiotopoulou; Stewart K Tucker; Robert K Whittaker; Harry S Hothi; Johann Henckel; Julian J H Leong; Thomas Ember; John A Skinner; Alister J Hart Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2017-01-19 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: Alastair Beaven; Adrian C Gardner; David S Marks; Jwalant S Mehta; Matthew Newton-Ede; Jonathan B Spilsbury Journal: Asian Spine J Date: 2018-09-10