Abstract
Introduction
Spinal navigation is considered a useful adjunct in minimally invasive spine surgery. Numerous reports suggesting lower radiation exposure have been described, but there have been concerns around increased operative times that navigation may attract.
Materials and Methods
Radiation exposure and surgical times were analyzed in all minimally invasive instrumented spine surgery cases performed between January 2010 and March 2014. A total of 141 cases were identified (degenerative, tumor, and trauma). These were divided into two groups: those performed with fluoroscopy guidance and those performed using intraoperative spinal navigation. These two groups were compared for cumulative radiation dose and operative times.
Results
Mann–Whitney nonparametric tests demonstrated a statistically significant lower radiation exposure in the navigated cases compared with the fluoroscopy cases (233.26 vs. 710.12 cGy/cm2; p < 0.05) without any significant difference in operative times (195 vs. 206 minutes; p = 0.52).
Conclusion
Evolving technologies are increasing our ability to improve spinal fixation. Our experience indicates that spinal navigation, in particular in longer spinal stabilization procedures, can be a powerful tool to reduce radiation exposure to both the patient and operating room personnel.