Simultaneous biplanar fluoroscopy for the surgical treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

BACKGROUND

The current standard of care for treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is in situ placement of a single, cannulated screw across the physis under direct fluoroscopic guidance. Previous studies have reported the theoretical advantages of shorter operative time and improved accuracy of screw placement when 2 fluoroscopy units are used simultaneously.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed to compare the use of 1 versus 2 C-arms in the surgical stabilization of SCFE. Data analysis, including demographics, surgical setup times, operative times, and precision of screw placement was performed in 77 consecutive hips (69 patients).

RESULTS

No significant differences were found between the single and dual C-arm techniques with respect to operating room setup and surgery times. Center-center positioning of the screw was more precise when using the simultaneous dual C-arm technique. Surgical times were longer in obese children, irrespective of the number of C-arms used.

CONCLUSIONS

Efficient operating room setup time for the dual C-arm technique is possible. Precision of screw placement is improved when using simultaneous biplanar fluoroscopy for the in situ pinning of SCFE.