Level of Supervision and Radiation Exposure of Senior Orthopedic Residents During Surgical Treatment of Proximal Femur Fracture

Abstract

The sustained use of intraoperative fluoroscopy has led to increased use of minimally invasive surgical techniques, enhanced surgeon proficiency, improved anatomic corrections, reduced patient morbidity, earlier functional recovery, and decreased length of hospital stay. As a result, orthopedic attending surgeons and residents are exposed to more radiation, increasing the risk of cancer and radiation-induced cataracts compared with the general population and those who work in other surgical specialties. The magnitude of radiation exposure depends on the susceptibility of the tissues affected, medical specialty, the position of the C-arm, distance from the radiation beam, level of difficulty of the surgical procedure, surgeon experience, level of resident training, and level of supervision by the attending surgeon. However, little information is available on the effect of supervision level on radiation exposure for orthopedic senior residents. The goal of this study was to investigate whether level of supervision by the attending surgeon affects the radiation exposure of orthopedic senior residents during surgical treatment of proximal femur fracture with cephalomedullary nail fixation. This retrospective cohort study was performed from January 2019 to March 2019. No significant relationship between supervision level and radiation exposure of senior residents was observed. Supervision level does not significantly affect radiation exposure for senior residents; therefore, the implementation of standardized training in radiation safety may be a more essential measure to decrease radiation exposure. [ Orthopedics . 2021;44(3):e402–e406.]

Screw Insertion Time, Fluoroscopy Time, and Operation Time for Robotic-Assisted Lumbar Pedicle Screw Placement Compared With Freehand Technique

“…Radiation exposure during surgery has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in surgeons and operating room workers [ 12 - 16 ]. As a result, limiting radiation exposure during surgery saves the surgeon's health.…”