Purpose or Case Report: Our hospital is a local tertiary referral centre for paediatric spinal deformities. Patients were traditionally imaged with digital radiography and secondary digital stitching of images. Repeated imaging is routinely required for monitoring of disease progression.
EOS biplanar X-ray imaging unit is a novel system utilizing slot-scanning technology to acquire high-quality full-length images of patients in an upright weight-bearing position. The EOS system is now commonly used in Western countries. However, studies describing utilization in Asian population has not been published, according to our understanding. This study aims to describe our local experience, in particular lower radiation dose requirements when compared with default settings.
Methods & Materials: Comparison was made with the standard digital radiography system (Discovery XR650 Digital Radiography System, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) and biplanar X-ray unit (EOS, EOS imaging, Paris, France), on entrance surface doses and dose area products with respect to patient body height and weight.
Spinal imaging quality was also assessed by paediatric radiologists and paediatric orthopaedic surgeons.
Results: Significant dose reduction can be achieved with EOS imaging system, with satisfactory spinal image quality.
(Conventional imaging mean total dose: 19.09 dGycm²; EOS imaging (lowdose protocol) mean total dose: 662.65 mGycm²; EOS imaging (microdose protocol) mean total dose: 61mGycm²)
Patient throughput is comparable with traditional imaging techniques.
Asian paediatric patients required less radiation dose for image acquisition when compared with default settings optimized for Caucasian population, likely due to thinner body builds with lower body mass indices.
Conclusions: EOS system is a useful imaging tool for paediatric spinal deformities, with significant dose reduction when compared with conventional imaging techniques. Full-length images in upright weight-bearing position can also be acquired.
Tailor-made imaging protocols for Asian population are suggested for further dose reduction and optimization of image quality.
Further studies in characterization of normal geometrical values of the paediatric spine in Asian population are required for accurate utilization of the EOS 3D system.