Reduction of patient radiation dose during percutaneous CT vertebroplasty: Impact of a new computer-assisted navigation (CAN) system

To assess the impact of a computer assisted navigation system (CAN) (CT-Navigation^TM IMACTIS, France) on patient radiation doses during percutaneous CT vertebroplasty a retrospective comparative trial was performed and included 37 patients requiring percutaneous vertebroplasty. This study was approved by CCN (Centre Cardiologique du Nord, Saint-Denis, France) ethical committee; all patients provided informed consent. All procedures were conducted in the interventional radiology department at CCN, by an experienced single radiologist using the same model and CT scan with identical parameters. The interventional dose length product (IDLP), representing the absorbed dose by the length of explored organs during the needle insertion phase, was compared in 15 consecutive patients who underwent a conventional procedure (CT control group), and in 22 patients who underwent CAN CT vertebroplasty (CAN group). The IDLP difference between the two groups was evaluated using Mann-Whitney U test. The median IDLP dose for the CAN group was 305.6 mGy.cm [182.3; 565.4], representing a reduction by a 3.2 factor compared with that of the conventional CT group (median 975.2 mGy.cm [568.3; 1077.1]; p < 0.001). The median procedure duration for the CAN group was 50 min [35; 60] vs. 100 min [82; 100] in the CT group (p < 0.001), representing a 50% reduction. In experienced hands, use of a CT-Navigation^TM system (IMACTIS^R) significantly reduced both patient radiation dose and procedure duration when compared to conventional CT guided percutaneous vertebroplasty. (authors)