Radiation dose in vertebroplasty

We wished to measure the absorbed radiation dose during fluoroscopically controlled vertebroplasty and to assess the possibility of deterministic radiation effects to the operator. The dose was measured in 11consecutive procedures using thermoluminescent ring dosimeters on the hand of the operator and electronic dosimeters inside and outside of the operator's lead apron. We found doses of 0.022-3.256mGy outside and 0.01-0.47mGy inside the lead apron. Doses on the hand were higher, 0.5-8.5mGy. This preliminary study indicates greater exposure to the operator's hands than expected from traditional apron measurement

Interventional spine procedures

Minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of some spinal diseases are percutaneous treatments, proposed before classic surgery. By using imaging guidance, one can significantly increase accuracy and decrease complication rates. This review report physiopathology and discusses indications, methods, complications and results of performing these techniques on the spine, including different level (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacroiliac) and different kind of treatments (nerve block, disc treatment and bone treatment). Finally the present article also reviews current literature on the controversial issues involved. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Pelvic osteoplasty in osteolytic metastases: Technical approach under fluoroscopic guidance and early clinical results

PURPOSE: To describe a new fluoroscopically guided technique for osteoplasty (or cementoplasty) of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities and to provide information about the access routes and initial results on pain management after this technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three lytic metastases of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities were treated in 14 consecutive patients. Percutaneous access of the bones was performed under fluoroscopy. All patients had pain refractory to radiation and narcotic therapy and were unsuitable candidates for surgery according to multidisciplinary consensus. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all cases. Clinically, effective pain relief was obtained in 92% of patients. One intraarticular asymptomatic minor complication and one major complication resulting from leakage near the pudendal nerve were observed. The latter was subsequently treated by radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: Pelvic osteoplasty appears to be a safe and highly effective palliative therapy for painful osteolytic malignant bone metastases

Pelvic osteoplasty in osteolytic metastases: Technical approach under fluoroscopic guidance and early clinical results

PURPOSE: To describe a new fluoroscopically guided technique for osteoplasty (or cementoplasty) of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities and to provide information about the access routes and initial results on pain management after this technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three lytic metastases of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities were treated in 14 consecutive patients. Percutaneous access of the bones was performed under fluoroscopy. All patients had pain refractory to radiation and narcotic therapy and were unsuitable candidates for surgery according to multidisciplinary consensus. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all cases. Clinically, effective pain relief was obtained in 92% of patients. One intraarticular asymptomatic minor complication and one major complication resulting from leakage near the pudendal nerve were observed. The latter was subsequently treated by radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: Pelvic osteoplasty appears to be a safe and highly effective palliative therapy for painful osteolytic malignant bone metastases

A Neuroergonomics Approach to Measure Pilot’s Cognitive Incapacitation in the Real World with EEG

Mental overload and mental fatigue are two degraded cognitive states that are known to promote cognitive incapacitation. We adopted a neuroergonomics approach to investigate these states that remain difficult to induce under la-boratory settings thus impeding their measurement. Two experiments were conducted under real flight conditions to respectively measure the electro-physiological correlates of mental fatigue and mental overload with a 32 chan-nel-dry EEG system. Our findings revealed that the occurrence of mental fatigue was related to higher theta and alpha band power. Mental overload was associ-ated with higher beta band power over frontal sites. We performed single trial classification to detect mental fatigue and over-load states. Classification accu-racy reached 76.9% and 89.1%, respectively, in discriminating mental fatigue vs. no fatigue and mental overload vs. low-high load. These preliminary results provide evidence for the feasibility of detecting neural correlates of cognitive fatigue and load during real flight conditions and provide promising perspec-tives on the implementation of neuroadaptive technology especially in the con-text of single pilot-operation