Aims. The use of fluoroscopy in orthopaedic surgery creates risk of radiation exposure to surgeons. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) can help mitigate this. The primary aim of this study was to assess if current radiation protection in orthopaedic trauma is safe. The secondary aims were to describe normative data of radiation exposure during common orthopaedic procedures, evaluate ways to improve any deficits in protection, and validate the use of electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs) in assessing radiation dose in orthopaedic surgery. Methods. Radiation exposure to surgeons during common orthopaedic trauma operations was prospectively assessed using EPDs and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Normative data for each operation type were calculated and compared to recommended guidelines. Results. Current PPE appears to mitigate more than 90% of ionizing radiation in orthopaedic fluoroscopic procedures. There is a higher exposure to the inner thigh during seated procedures. EPDs provided results for individual procedures. Conclusion. PPE currently used by surgeons in orthopaedic trauma theatre adequately reduces radiation exposure to below recommended levels. Normative data per trauma case show specific anatomical areas of higher exposure, which may benefit from enhanced radiation protection. EPDs can be used to assess real-time radiation exposure in orthopaedic surgery. There may be a role in future medical wearables for orthopaedic surgeons. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(11):907–912

Introduction. Diagnosis of osteoarthritis relies primarily on image-based analyses. X-ray, CT, and MRI can be used to evaluate various features associated with OA including joint space narrowing, deformity, articular cartilage integrity, and other joint parameters. While effective, these exams are costly, may expose the patient to ionizing radiation, and are often conducted under passive, non-weightbearing conditions. A supplemental form of analysis utilizing vibroarthrographic (VAG) signals provides an alternative that is safer and more cost-effective for the patient. The objective of this study is to correlate the kinematic patterns of normal, diseased (pre-operative), and implanted (post-operative) hip subjects to their VAG signals that were collected and to more specifically, determine if a correlation exists between femoral head center displacement and vibration signal features. Methods. Of the 28 hips that were evaluated, 10 were normal, 10 were diseased, and 8 were implanted. To collect the VAG signal from each subject, two uniaxial accelerometers were placed on bony landmarks near the joint; one was placed on the greater trochanter of the femur and the other along the anterior edge of the iliac crest. The subjects performed a single cycle gait (stance and swing phase) activity under fluoroscopic surveillance. The CAD models of the implanted components were supplied by the sponsoring company while the subject bone models were created from CT scans. 3D-to-2D registration was conducted on subject fluoroscopic images to obtain kinematics, contact area, and femoral center head displacement. The VAG signals were trimmed to time, passed with a denoise filter and wavelet decomposition. Results. When comparing the femoral head displacement to the vibration signals with respect to the normal hips, insignificant magnitudes of vibration were present (0.05 volts). For the diseased hips, greater magnitudes were seen (0.2 volts). For the implanted subjects, the overall vibration features were small (0.05 volts) much like the signals from the normal hips except for spikes that correlated to features within the gait cycle. Therefore, grinding sounds were heard from the degenerative hips, but not present for the normal or implanted hips in this study. Discussion. In regards to the normal hip subjects, the lesser magnitude of volts correlated well with the kinematic results showing no separation of the femoral head center (1 mm). For the diseased hips, the instances of greater feature quantity occurred at moments where the subjects experienced higher values of head center displacement (1 mm). These subjects also had an overall increase in average voltage magnitude likely due to the loss of cartilage about the articulating surface resulting in a rougher surface for the accelerometers to record. For the implanted subjects, due to no head center displacement and a smoother surface for joint articulation, the vibration signals were smaller than the diseased case but showed better correlation with features within the gait cycle. No exact quantification has been determined between separation and accelerometer voltage output, further studies and testing will need to be carried out in order to reach such a conclusion. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Most types of bone tumor surgery require intra-operative imaging or measurement to control margins and prevent unnecessary bone loss. Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) has been used as a replacement of fluoroscopy or direct measurement tools in four specific types of oncological orthopaedic surgical approaches. There are intralesional treatments, image-based resections, image-based resections with image-based reconstructions and image-based resections with imageless tumor prostheses reconstruction. Since 2006 we have performed 130 oncological surgeries with CAS. Most cases were excochleations, 64, where CAS replaces fluoroscopy as an intra-operative imaging modality. Advantages over fluoroscopy are real time three dimensional feedback, high-res image and no use of ionizing radiation. It is especially useful in larger lesions or lesions located in the femoral head or pelvis. Currently a study is being performed on patient satisfaction, recurrence and complications. Another application where CAS has often been used is in resections and segmental resections (together 45). These can be preplanned before surgery, incorporating the margin required, and checked intra-operatively. Coloration of the tumor, critical structures is useful to avoid these. Sometimes it's possible with careful planning to spare structures that otherwise probably would not confidently have spared. With hemicortical resection (5) it's possible to use CAS to exactly copy the shape of the resected bone to an allograft. A Ct scan of one case shows an average gap between host and graft of 0.9 mm (range 0–5.4) along the 6 cm resection. Finally in 16 cases of imageless use in placement of tumor prostheses it feels greatly helpful in reconstructing the joint line, length and correct rotation. There were 8 failures in these 130 cases with the system or software. Setup time was measured in 47 cases and was on average 6:50 (range 2:26–14:27). Indication and performance of CAS in orthopedic oncology is an under researched aspect of CAS. In our opinion CAS shows great promise in the field of orthopedic oncology and is a valuable tool in the operating room

Aims

The number of females within the speciality of trauma and orthopaedics (T&O) is increasing. The aim of this study was to identify: 1) current attitudes and behaviours of UK female T&O surgeons towards pregnancy; 2) any barriers faced towards pregnancy with a career in T&O surgery; and 3) areas for improvement.