Week 6

 New Technology Revolutionizes Imaging for Pediatric Spine Patients.

EOS machine reduces radiation exposure
 while producing full view of skeleton

For the first time, pediatric spinal patients in upstate New York have access to new imaging technology that dramatically decreases their radiation exposure while producing more precise images with better information for orthopaedic specialists. The EOS^® machine is especially useful for pediatric patients with scoliosis or long-bone issues and have to undergo multiple scans over their lifetime.

With a growing number of pediatric spinal patients traveling to Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center for the highly specialized care of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, the Department of Imaging Sciences and the Department of Orthopaedics saw the need for the precision of the EOS^® machine. The machine is not available anywhere else in upstate New York. Among its many attributes, it:

·         Reduces radiation exposure by at least 1/3 in each scan, exponentially reducing exposure for patients requiring repeat scans over a lifetime

·         Produces images that are actual size without any distortion

·         Produces a scan from the front and side at the exact same time, so the images are completely matched and can be used to create three-dimensional reconstructions

·         Scans are immediately available for physician interpretation, cutting down on wait-time for patients

Johan G. (Hans) Blickman, M.D., Ph.D., Radiologist-in-Chief of Golisano Childrens Hospital, said another benefit of the machine is the ease with which children and adolescents can get in and out of the machine, even if using a wheelchair. They are able to stand or sit in the exact same position as previous scans, allowing radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons to more precisely compare growth and changes over time. The machine scans without magnification, so there is no distortion or educated guessing of measurements.