Does the Use of Sanders Staging and Distal Radius and Ulna Classification Avoid Mismatches in Growth Assessment with Risser Staging Alone?

BACKGROUND: Although Risser stages are visible on the same radiograph of the spine, Risser staging is criticized for its insensitivity in estimating the remaining growth potential and its weak correlation with curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Risser staging is frequently accompanied by other skeletal maturity indices to increase its precision for assessing pubertal growth. However, it remains unknown whether there is any discrepancy between various maturity parameters and the extent of this discrepancy when these indices are used concurrently to assess pubertal growth landmarks, which are important for the timing of brace initiation and weaning. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What is the chronologic order of skeletal maturity grades based on the growth rate and curve progression rate in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? (2) What are the discrepancies among the grades of each maturity index for indicating the peak growth and start of the growth plateau, and how do these indices correspond to each other? (3) What is the effectiveness of Risser staging, Sanders staging, and the distal radius and ulna classification in assessing peak growth and the beginning of the growth plateau? METHODS: Between 2014 and 2017, a total of 13,536 patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were treated at our tertiary clinic. Of those, 3864 patients with a radiograph of the left hand and wrist and a posteroanterior radiograph of the spine at the same visits including initial presentation were considered potentially eligible for this study. Minimum follow-up was defined as 6 months from the first visit, and the follow-up duration was defined as 2 years since initial consultation. In all, 48% (1867 of 3864) of patients were eligible, of which 26% (485 of 1867) were excluded because they were prescribed bracing at the first consultation. These patients visited the subsequent clinics wearing the brace, which might have affected body height measurement. Six percent (117 of 1867) of eligible patients were also excluded as their major coronal Cobb angle reached the surgical threshold of 50° and had undergone surgery before skeletal maturity. Another 21% (387 of 1867) of patients were lost before minimum follow-up or had incomplete data, leaving 47% (878) for analysis. These 878 patients with 1139 skeletal maturity assessments were studied; 74% (648 of 878) were girls. Standing body height was measured in a standardized manner by a wall-mounted stadiometer. Several surgeons measured curve magnitude as per routine clinical consultation, skeletal maturity was measured according to the distal radius and ulna classification, and two raters measured Risser and Sanders stages. Reliability tests were performed with satisfaction. Data were collected for the included patients at multiple points when skeletal maturity was assessed, and only up to when brace wear started for those who eventually had bracing. The growth rate and curve progression rate were calculated by the change of body height and major coronal Cobb angle over the number of months elapsed between the initial visit and next follow-up. At each skeletal maturity grading, we examined the growth rate (in centimeters per month) and curve progression rate (in degrees per month) since the skeletal maturity assessment, as well as the mean age at which this maturity grading occurred. Each patient was then individually assessed for whether he or she was experiencing peak growth and the beginning of growth plateau at each timepoint by comparing the calculated growth rate with the previously defined peak growth rate of ≥ 0.7 cm per month and the beginning of growth plateau rate of ≤ 0.15 cm per month in this adolescent idiopathic scoliosis population. Among the timepoints at which the peak growth and the beginning of growth plateau occurred, the median maturity grade of each maturity index was identified as the benchmark grade for comparison between indices. We used the McNemar test to investigate whether pubertal growth landmarks were identified by specific maturity grades concurrently. We assessed the effectiveness of these skeletal maturity indices by the difference in proportions (%) between two benchmark grades in indicating peak growth and the growth plateau. RESULTS: For girls, the chronological order of maturity grades that indicated peak growth was the radius grade, ulna grade, Sanders stage, and Risser stage. Curve progression peaked between the age of 11.6 and 12.1 years at a similar timing by all maturity indices for girls but was inconsistent for boys. For both sexes, radius (R) grade 6, ulna (U) grade 5, Sanders stage (SS) 3, and Risser stage 0+ were the median grades for peak growth, whereas Risser stage 4, R8/9, U7/8, and SS6/7 indicated the beginning of the growth plateau. The largest discrepancy between maturity indices was represented by Risser stage 0+, which corresponded to six grades of the Sanders staging system (SS2 to SS7) and to R6 in only 41% (62 of 152) of girls in the whole cohort. Despite Risser stage 0+ corresponding to the wide range of Sanders and distal radius and ulna grades, none of the R6, U5, SS3, and Risser stage 0+ was found more effective than another grade in indicating the peak growth in girls. R6 most effectively indicated the peak growth in boys, and Risser stage 0+ was the least effective. For the beginning of the growth plateau in girls, SS6/7 was the most effective indicator, followed by U7/8. Risser stage 4 was the least effective because it indicated 29% (95% CI 21% to 36%; p < 0.001) fewer patients who reached the beginning of the growth plateau than did those with R8/9. Risser stage 4 also indicated 36% (95% CI 28% to 43%; p < 0.001) fewer patients who reached the beginning of the growth plateau than those indicated by U7/8, and it identified 39% fewer patients than SS6/7 (95% CI 32% to 47%; p < 0.001). For boys, similarly, R8/9, U7/8, and SS6/7 were all more effective than Risser stage 4 in identifying when the growth plateau began. CONCLUSION: Risser stage 0+ corresponds to a wide range of Sanders and distal radius and ulna grades. Risser stage 0+ is least effective in indicating the peak growth in boys, and Risser stage 4 is the least effective maturity grade for indicating when the growth plateau starts in both sexes. The concurrent use of R6 and SS3 can be useful for detecting the peak growth, and SS6/7 in conjunction with U7/8 is most effective in indicating the beginning of the growth plateau. Using a combination of specific grades of Sanders staging and the distal radius and ulna classification can indicate pubertal growth landmarks with reduced risk of underestimating or overestimating skeletal maturity. These findings may aid in refining clinical decision-making of brace initiation and weaning at a more precise timing. Among Risser stage 0, the appearance of R6, U5, and SS3 provide the most effective assessment of peak growth that can indicate the most effective bracing period within which curve progression occurs. For initiation of the growth plateau, Risser 4 is not useful, and SS6/7, R8/9 and U7/8 should be used instead. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

Do patients with axial spondyloarthritis with radiographic sacroiliitis fulfil both the modified New York criteria and the ASAS axial spondyloarthritis criteria? Results from eight cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Patients with spondyloarthritis with radiographic sacroiliitis are traditionally classified according to the modified New York (mNY) criteria as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and more recently according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) criteria as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the agreement between the mNY criteria for AS and the ASAS criteria for r-axSpA and reasons for disagreement. METHODS: Patients with back pain ≥3 months diagnosed as axSpA with radiographic sacroiliitis (mNY radiographic criterion) were selected from eight cohorts (ASAS, Esperanza, GESPIC, OASIS, Reuma.pt, SCQM, SPACE, UCSF). Subsequently, we calculated the percentage of patients who fulfilled the ASAS r-axSpA criteria within the group of patients who fulfilled the mNY criteria and vice versa in six cohorts with complete information. RESULTS: Of the 3882 patients fulfilling the mNY criteria, 93% also fulfilled the ASAS r-axSpA criteria. Inversely, of the 3434 patients fulfilling the ASAS r-axSpA criteria, 96% also fulfilled the mNY criteria. The main cause for discrepancy between the two criteria sets was the reported age at onset of back pain. CONCLUSION: Almost all patients with axSpA with radiographic sacroiliitis fulfil both ASAS and mNY criteria, which supports the interchangeable use of the terms AS and r-axSpA.

High-Throughput Classification of Radiographs Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.

The study aimed to determine if computer vision techniques rooted in deep learning can use a small set of radiographs to perform clinically relevant image classification with high fidelity. One thousand eight hundred eighty-five chest radiographs on 909 patients obtained between January 2013 and July 2015 at our institution were retrieved and anonymized. The source images were manually annotated as frontal or lateral and randomly divided into training, validation, and test sets. Training and validation sets were augmented to over 150,000 images using standard image manipulations. We then pre-trained a series of deep convolutional networks based on the open-source GoogLeNet with various transformations of the open-source ImageNet (non-radiology) images. These trained networks were then fine-tuned using the original and augmented radiology images. The model with highest validation accuracy was applied to our institutional test set and a publicly available set. Accuracy was assessed by using the Youden Index to set a binary cutoff for frontal or lateral classification. This retrospective study was IRB approved prior to initiation. A network pre-trained on 1.2 million greyscale ImageNet images and fine-tuned on augmented radiographs was chosen. The binary classification method correctly classified 100 % (95 % CI 99.73-100 %) of both our test set and the publicly available images. Classification was rapid, at 38 images per second. A deep convolutional neural network created using non-radiological images, and an augmented set of radiographs is effective in highly accurate classification of chest radiograph view type and is a feasible, rapid method for high-throughput annotation.

Accurate determination of imaging modality using an ensemble of text- and image-based classifiers.

Imaging modality can aid retrieval of medical images for clinical practice, research, and education. We evaluated whether an ensemble classifier could outperform its constituent individual classifiers in determining the modality of figures from radiology journals. Seventeen automated classifiers analyzed 77,495 images from two radiology journals. Each classifier assigned one of eight imaging modalities--computed tomography, graphic, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography, photograph, ultrasound, or radiograph-to each image based on visual and/or textual information. Three physicians determined the modality of 5,000 randomly selected images as a reference standard. A "Simple Vote" ensemble classifier assigned each image to the modality that received the greatest number of individual classifiers' votes. A "Weighted Vote" classifier weighted each individual classifier's vote based on performance over a training set. For each image, this classifier's output was the imaging modality that received the greatest weighted vote score. We measured precision, recall, and F score (the harmonic mean of precision and recall) for each classifier. Individual classifiers' F scores ranged from 0.184 to 0.892. The simple vote and weighted vote classifiers correctly assigned 4,565 images (F score, 0.913; 95% confidence interval, 0.905-0.921) and 4,672 images (F score, 0.934; 95% confidence interval, 0.927-0.941), respectively. The weighted vote classifier performed significantly better than all individual classifiers. An ensemble classifier correctly determined the imaging modality of 93% of figures in our sample. The imaging modality of figures published in radiology journals can be determined with high accuracy, which will improve systems for image retrieval.

Lumbopelvic alignment on standing lateral radiograph of adult volunteers and the classification in the sagittal alignment of lumbar spine.

The analysis of the sagittal balance is important for the understanding of the lumbopelvic biomechanics. Results from previous studies documented the correlation between sacro-pelvic orientation and lumbar lordosis and a uniqueness of spino-pelvic alignment in an individual person. This study was subjected to determine the lumbopelvic orientation using pelvic radius measurement technique. The standing lateral radiographs in a standardized standing position were taken from 100 healthy volunteers. The measurements which included hip axis (HA), pelvic radius (PR), pelvic angle (PA), pelvic morphology (PR-S1), sacral translation distance (HA-S1), total lumbosacral lordosis (T12-S1), total lumbopelvic lordosis (PR-T12) and regional lumbopelvic lordosis angles (PR-L2, PR-L4 and PR-L5) were carried out with two independent observers. The relationships between the parameters were as follows. PR-S1 demonstrated positive correlation to regional lumbopelvic lordosis and revealed negative correlation to T12-S1. PA showed negative correlation to PR-S1 and regional lumbopelvic lordosis, but revealed positive correlation to HA-S1. T12-S1 was significantly increased when PR-S1 was lesser than average (35°-45°) and was significantly decreased when PR-S1 was above the average. PR-L4 and PR-L5 were significantly reduced when PR-S1 was smaller than average and only PR-L5 was significantly increased when PR-S1 was above the average. In conclusion, this present study supports that lumbar spine and pelvis work together in order to maintain lumbopelvic balance.

Automatic classification of canine thoracic radiographs using deep learning.

The interpretation of thoracic radiographs is a challenging and error-prone task for veterinarians. Despite recent advancements in machine learning and computer vision, the development of computer-aided diagnostic systems for radiographs remains a challenging and unsolved problem, particularly in the context of veterinary medicine. In this study, a novel method, based on multi-label deep convolutional neural network (CNN), for the classification of thoracic radiographs in dogs was developed. All the thoracic radiographs of dogs performed between 2010 and 2020 in the institution were retrospectively collected. Radiographs were taken with two different radiograph acquisition systems and were divided into two data sets accordingly. One data set (Data Set 1) was used for training and testing and another data set (Data Set 2) was used to test the generalization ability of the CNNs. Radiographic findings used as non mutually exclusive labels to train the CNNs were: unremarkable, cardiomegaly, alveolar pattern, bronchial pattern, interstitial pattern, mass, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and megaesophagus. Two different CNNs, based on ResNet-50 and DenseNet-121 architectures respectively, were developed and tested. The CNN based on ResNet-50 had an Area Under the Receive-Operator Curve (AUC) above 0.8 for all the included radiographic findings except for bronchial and interstitial patterns both on Data Set 1 and Data Set 2. The CNN based on DenseNet-121 had a lower overall performance. Statistically significant differences in the generalization ability between the two CNNs were evident, with the CNN based on ResNet-50 showing better performance for alveolar pattern, interstitial pattern, megaesophagus, and pneumothorax.

Reject rate analysis in digital radiography: an Australian emergency imaging department case study.

INTRODUCTION: Reject analysis in digital radiography (DR) helps guide the education and training of staff, influences department workflow, reduces patient dose and improves department efficiency. The purpose of this study was to investigate rejected radiographs at a major metropolitan emergency imaging department to help form a benchmark of reject rates for DR and to assess what radiographs are being rejected and why. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal study was undertaken as an in-depth clinical audit. The data were collected using automated reject analysis software from two digital x-ray systems from June 2015 to April 2017. The overall reject rate, reasons for rejection as well as the reject rates for individual radiographers, examination types and projections were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 90,298 radiographic images were acquired and included in the analysis. The average reject rate was 9%, and the most frequent reasons for image rejection were positioning error (49%) and anatomy cut-off (21%). The reject rate varied between radiographers as well as for individual examination types and projections. CONCLUSIONS: The variation in radiographer reject rates and the high reject rate for some projections indicate that reject analysis is still necessary as a quality assurance tool for DR. A feedback system between radiologists and radiographers may reduce the high percentage of positioning errors by standardising the technical factors used to assess image quality. Future reject analysis should be conducted regularly incorporating an exposure indicator analysis as well as retrospective assessment of individual rejected images.

Primary osteoarthritis of the elbow: lack of radiographic evidence for morphologic predisposition, results of operative debridement at intermediate follow-up, and basis for a new radiographic classification system.

This study evaluated whether or not a morphologic predisposition exists to the development of primary osteoarthritis and establishes a classification tool to predict outcome in surgical treatment of elbow osteoarthritis. Detailed radiographic morphologic analysis of the ulnotrochlear and radio-capitellar joints in 90 normal and 24 osteoarthritic elbows showed few differences. Based upon commonly demonstrated radiographic features of degenerative changes, joint space narrowing, and marginal osteophytes, a classification system for rating the severity of primary osteoarthritis of the elbow was developed and applied retrospectively classified the preoperative radiographs of 18 patients (21 elbows) who had undergone elbow debridement and capsular release through a lateral collateral ligament preserving approach. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were assessed at an average 65 months postoperative. Total elbow motion and Mayo elbow performance scores were best in those who had been classified as class I preoperatively and worst in those in class III. This newly developed radiographic classification system is a useful tool in predicting surgical outcome following debridement of primary elbow osteoarthritis.

Estudio de concordancia de radiografía-tomografía computarizada de las fracturas de radio distal / Radiography-computed tomography concordance study of distal radius fractures

Introducción: La fractura de radio distal resulta común en la extremidad superior y representa un reto terapéutico. Objetivo: Determinar la concordancia entre radiografía simple y tomografía computarizada con respecto a las clasificaciones AO Foundation y de Fernández, y la elección del tratamiento. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de concordancia diagnóstica entre radiografía simple y tomografía computarizada. Ortopedistas y cirujanos de mano analizaron 19 imágenes de fracturas de radio distal de acuerdo con las clasificaciones AO Foundation y de Fernández, y las distintas opciones de tratamiento. Para el grado de concordancia se usó el coeficiente Kappa de Fleiss. La prueba de t-Student y Chi cuadrado diferenciaron los grupos para variables cuantitativas y cualitativas, respectivamente. Hubo una significancia estadística de p= 0,05. Resultados: La clasificación de Fernández coincidió mejor que la clasificación AO Foundation entre radiografía y tomografía computarizada. En la elección del tratamiento y la técnica de osteosíntesis la concordancia fue mayor al 90 por ciento, mientras que el abordaje quirúrgico solo alcanzó el 50 por ciento. La clasificación AO Foundation radiográfica se correspondió con fracturas complejas, mientras la de Fernández con las menos complicadas. Las fracturas se subestimaron cuando se clasificaron con radiografía. Conclusiones: La relación de las clasificaciones entre radiografía y tomografía computarizada para fracturas de radio distal no resulta satisfactoria. La tomografía computarizada ofrece información que modifica las decisiones en el tratamiento(AU)

Introduction: Distal radius fracture is common in the upper extremity and represents a therapeutic challenge. Objective: To determine the agreement between simple radiography and computed tomography with respect to AO Foundation and Fernández classifications, and the choice of treatment. Methods: A diagnostic agreement study was carried out between simple radiography and computed tomography. Orthopedists and hand surgeons analyzed 19 images of distal radius fractures according to AO Foundation and Fernández classifications, and the different treatment options. Fleiss Kappa coefficient was used for the degree of agreement. The Student's t-test and chi-square differentiated the groups for quantitative and qualitative variables, respectively. There was a statistical significance of p = 0.05. Results: Fernández classification coincided better than AO Foundation between radiography and computed tomography. In the choice of treatment and osteosynthesis technique, agreement was greater than 90 percent, while the surgical approach only reached 50 percent. The radiographic AO Foundation classification corresponded to complex fractures while Fernández classification corresponded to less complicated ones. Fractures were underestimated when classified with radiography. Conclusions: The relationship of classifications between radiography and computed tomography for distal radius fractures is not satisfactory. Computed tomography provides information that modifies treatment decisions(AU)

Number of X-ray examinations performed on paediatric and geriatric patients compared with adult patients.

The age of the patient is of prime importance when assessing the radiological risk to patients due to medical X-ray exposures and the total detriment to the population due to radiodiagnostics. In order to take into account the age-specific radiosensitivity, three age groups are considered: children, adults and the elderly. In this work, the relative number of examinations carried out on paediatric and geriatric patients is established, compared with adult patients, for radiodiagnostics as a whole, for dental and medical radiology, for 8 radiological modalities as well as for 40 types of X-ray examinations. The relative numbers of X-ray examinations are determined based on the corresponding age distributions of patients and that of the general population. Two broad groups of X-ray examinations may be defined. Group A comprises conventional radiography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography; for this group a paediatric patient undergoes half the number of examinations as that of an adult, and a geriatric patient undergoes 2.5 times more. Group B comprises angiography and interventional procedures; for this group a paediatric patient undergoes a one-fourth of the number of examinations carried out on an adult, and a geriatric patient undergoes five times more.

Revisión acetabular primaria: incidencia y mecanismos de utilización del injerto óseo / Primary Acetabular Revision: Incidence and Mechanisms of Bone Graft Use

Introducción: El recambio acetabular primario puede llegar a ser una intervención de gran complejidad en dependencia del defecto óseo existente. Las lesiones pueden ser segmentarias, cavitarias o combinadas. Este último patrón es el que se observa con mayor frecuencia en pérdidas óseas periprotésicas por aflojamiento aséptico. Objetivos: Mostrar la evolución de la cirugía de recambio en la artroplastia de cadera, y orientar al cirujano en la toma de decisiones de modo individualizado, para evitar las complicaciones. Método: Se realizó la investigación basada en el tema de estudio, mediante la revisión de libros de texto de la especialidad, artículos científicos publicados en diferentes bases de datos informáticas: Pubmed/MEDLINE, SciELO, BVS, Scopus, Ebsco, Google Scholar, Cochrane, así como otras consultas en bibliotecas médicas. Análisis de la información: Las prioridades en la planificación de la reconstrucción se establecen para proporcionar un implante estable, restaurar la masa ósea y optimizar la biomecánica de la cadera, aunque son los hallazgos intraoperatorios los que definitivamente indicarán el tipo de intervención a seguir. Las exigencias funcionales de los pacientes y las comorbilidades deben ser consideradas, así como el coste-efectividad de la reconstrucción planificada. Conclusiones: La artroplastia total de cadera ha demostrado mejorar significativamente la calidad de vida en pacientes, con una baja tasa de complicaciones. Para prevenir el aflojamiento aséptico es necesario ser cuidadosos en la técnica de colocación de los componentes protésicos y utilizar el tipo de material más adecuado a la edad, demanda funcional y reserva ósea de cada paciente(AU)

Introduction: Primary acetabular replacement can become a highly complex intervention depending on the existing bone defect. Lesions can be segmental, cavitary, or combined. This last pattern is the one most frequently observed in periprosthetic bone loss due to aseptic loosening. Objectives: To show the evolution of replacement surgery in hip arthroplasty, and to guide the surgeon in making individualized decisions, to avoid complications. Method: A research was carried out on the study topic, by reviewing specialty textbooks, scientific articles published in different databases such as Pubmed/ MEDLINE, SciELO, BVS, Scopus, Ebsco, Google Scholar, Cochrane, as well as other inquiries in medical libraries. Information analysis: Reconstruction planning priorities are established to provide a stable implant, restore bone mass, and optimize hip biomechanics, although it is the intraoperative findings that will definitely indicate the type of intervention to follow. The functional demands of the patients and the comorbidities must be considered, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the planned reconstruction. Conclusions: Total hip arthroplasty has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life in patients, with low rate of complications. To prevent aseptic loosening, it is necessary to be careful in the technique of placement of the prosthetic components and to use the type of material most appropriate to the age, functional demand and bone reserve of each patient(AU)

Apuntes para la historia de la radiología en Matanzas (I): precursores y notas complementarias / Notes for a history of radiology in Matanzas (I): precursors and supplementary notes

RESUMEN La radiología es una de las especialidades con más desarrollo en las ciencias médicas. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron rescatar y compartir elementos de la historia de la radiología en la provincia de Matanzas. En el mismo se utilizaron métodos como el analítico-sintético y el deductivo-inductivo, al igual que los submétodos cronológico y geográfico. Se presentaron nueve notas complementarias y once fichas con una caracterización sintética de figuras e instituciones precursoras. En 1907 debió instalarse en Matanzas el primer equipo de rayos X, pero la iniciativa no fructificó. Los primeros en el territorio en usar dichos rayos con fines médicos fueron los doctores Juan Francisco Tamargo, Enrique Sáez y Federico Escoto, en la segunda década del siglo XX; pero quien estableció el límite temporal entre cómo se hacía y cómo debía hacerse la radiología, fue el Dr. Mario E. Dihigo Llanos, a principios de la década siguiente (AU).

ABSTRACT Radiology is one of the most developed specialties in the medical sciences. The objectives of this work were to rescue and share elements of the history of radiology in the province of Matanzas. Methods such as analytic-synthetic and deductive-inductive were used, as were chronological and geographical sub-methods. Nine supplementary notes and eleven cards were presented with a synthetic characterization of precursor figures and institutions. In 1907 the first X-ray equipment had to be installed in Matanzas, but the initiative did not bear fruit. Doctors Juan Francisco Tamargo, Enrique Sáez and Federico Escoto were the first in the territory to use such rays for medical purposes in the second decade of the twentieth century; but who established the time limit between how radiology was done and how it should be done, was Dr. Mario E. Dihigo Llanos, at the beginning of the following decade (AU).

Evaluating Terminologies to Enable Imaging-Related Decision Rule Sharing.

Purpose: Clinical decision support tools provide recommendations based on decision rules. A fundamental challenge regarding decision rule-sharing involves inadequate expression using standard terminology. We aimed to evaluate the coverage of three standard terminologies for mapping imaging-related decision rules. Methods: 50 decision rules, randomly selected from an existing library, were mapped to Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED CT), Radiology Lexicon (RadLex) and International Classification of Disease (ICD-10-CM). Decision rule attributes and values were mapped to unique concepts, obtaining the best possible coverage with the fewest concepts. Manual and automated mapping using Clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES) were performed. Results: Using manual mapping, SNOMED CT provided the greatest concept coverage (83%), compared to RadLex (36%) and ICD-10-CM (8%) (p<0.0001). Combined mapping had 86% concept coverage. Automated mapping achieved 85% mapping coverage vs. 94% with manual mapping (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although some gaps remain, standard terminologies provide ample coverage for mapping imaging- related evidence.

Dosimetric aspects of a national survey of diagnostic and interventional radiology in Switzerland.

The effective dose delivered to the patient was determined, by modeling, for 257 types of examinations covering the different modalities of diagnostic and interventional radiology. The basic operational dosimetric quantities considered were obtained from the parameters of the examinations on the basis of dosimetric models. These models required a precise characterization of each examination. The operational dosimetric quantities were converted into doses to organs and effective doses using appropriate conversion factors. The determination of the collective effective dose to the Swiss population requires a number of corrections to account for the variability of several parameters: sensitivity of the detection system, age, gender, and build of the patient. The use of various dosimetric models is illustrated in this paper for a limited number of examination types covering the different radiological modalities, for which the established typical effective doses are given. With regard to individual doses, the study indicated that the average effective doses per type of examination can be classified into three levels: (a) the weakly irradiating examinations (less than 0.1 mSv), which represent 78% of the examinations and 4% of the collective dose, (b) the moderately irradiating examinations (between 0.1 mSv and 10 mSv), which represent 21% of the examinations and 72% of the collective dose, (c) the strongly irradiating examinations (more than 10 mSv), which represent 1% of the examinations and 24% of the collective dose.

Nation-wide survey on radiation doses in diagnostic and interventional radiology in Switzerland in 1998.

A nation-wide survey on radiation doses in diagnostic and interventional radiology was conducted in Switzerland in 1998 aiming at establishing their collective radiological impact on the Swiss population. The study consisted on the one hand of surveying the frequency of more than 250 types of examinations, covering conventional radiology, mammography, fluoroscopy, angiography, interventional radiology, CT, bone densitometry, conventional tomography and dental radiology. On the other hand, for each type of examination the associated patient dose was established by modeling. The results of this study show that about 9.5 million diagnostic and interventional examinations are performed annually in Switzerland (1.34 per caput) and that the associated annual collective dose is of the order of 7100 person.Sv (1.0 mSv per caput). Switzerland is similar to other European countries in terms of the frequency of examinations and the collective dose.

The role of radiology coders and fee coordinators.

The coding process for radiology procedures is more than just looking at a report, writing in the codes and sending it on. In the radiology department, coders/fee coordinators play a key role in troubleshooting, since they are able to see the entire process from patient visit to billing. Vital to the billing operation is having competent and skilled coders who understand radiology from order to revenue. Responsibility for proper coding should rest with the radiology department, even when fee coordinators are paid from different sources. If other people are writing codes that can influence its bottom line, the department needs to know that coding is being done correctly. Thousands of dollars can be lost when the coding and billing process breaks down and incorrect coding is overlooked. A quality control program is vital so that mistakes are found and corrected prior to codes being entered. Insisting on accuracy also means finding and following up on errors through a troubleshooting system to prevent legal action. Codes must be able to look at reports, ask questions about inconsistencies and possible errors and compare the ordered procedure to what was actually done. Issues that affect proper coding are pointed out so that today's coders can be more watchful. Although it is labor intensive, it is important for coders to match reports with dictation from technologies and radiologists to ensure accuracy.

Positioning competencies for radiography graduates.

This article describes the results of a survey of radiography program directors on positioning competencies for entry-level radiographers. The survey asked program directors to classify projections as essential, important, rarely needed or for reference only. The objective of the study was to rank radiographic projections from most to least important in clinical practice. The data are provided for use by educators and employers in determining which projections are essential entry-level competencies.

Leveraging terminologies for retrieval of radiology reports with critical imaging findings.

INTRODUCTION: Communication of critical imaging findings is an important component of medical quality and safety. A fundamental challenge includes retrieval of radiology reports that contain these findings. This study describes the expressiveness and coverage of existing medical terminologies for critical imaging findings and evaluates radiology report retrieval using each terminology. METHODS: Four terminologies were evaluated: National Cancer Institute Thesaurus (NCIT), Radiology Lexicon (RadLex), Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED-CT), and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM). Concepts in each terminology were identified for 10 critical imaging findings. Three findings were subsequently selected to evaluate document retrieval. RESULTS: SNOMED-CT consistently demonstrated the highest number of overall terms (mean=22) for each of ten critical findings. However, retrieval rate and precision varied between terminologies for the three findings evaluated. CONCLUSION: No single terminology is optimal for retrieving radiology reports with critical findings. The expressiveness of a terminology does not consistently correlate with radiology report retrieval.

Normal patterns of sagittal alignment of the spine in young adults radiological analysis in a Korean population.

STUDY DESIGN: Radiological analysis and classification of normal patterns of sagittal alignment of the spine. OBJECTIVE: To classify the patterns of sagittal alignment of the spine in young asymptomatic adults and analyze the differences in the various spinal and pelvic parameters according to these patterns. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies reported that the overall sagittal pattern and balance were more important than the normative values. There are few studies on white populations, classifying the normal patterns of sagittal curvature, and no studies on Asian populations. METHODS: Whole spine, standing lateral radiographs of 86 Korean volunteers were taken. The pelvic and spinal parameters (total thoracic kyphosis, horizontal thoracic level, thoracolumbar junctional angle (TLJA), total lumbar lordosis, lower lumbar lordosis, horizontal lumbar level (HLL), lumbar inclination, pelvic tilt, sacral slope (SS), pelvic incidence, spinal balance, spinopelvic balance, and sacropelvic balance) were measured and the correlations of all parameters were analyzed. The volunteers were classified in to three types according to their HLL. The data were analyzed statistically to determine the differences in the parameters and balance between the three types. RESULTS: The HLL showed a significant correlation with the lumbar inclination, junctional level, TLJA, spinal balance, spinopelvic balance, and SS on analyzing the correlation of the parameters. As HLL moved caudally, the TLJA and lumbar inclination increased, whereas the lower lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence, and SS decreased and spinal balance became more negative. There were no significant differences in total thoracic kyphosis and sacropelvic balance between the three types. CONCLUSION: The patterns of sagittal alignment could be classified into three types showing that the spinal balance becomes more negative, the lumbar inclination and TLJA increase, the SS and pelvic incidence decrease, and lumbar lordotic curves becomes shorter as the patterns of sagittal curvature move toward type 3. This classification in young adults should be considered individually as a reference for surgeons aiming to restore the lumbar lordosis and sagittal alignment in degenerative lumbar fusion surgery.