Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods: Influence on Intraoperative Fluoroscopic Imaging: A Case Report.

CASE: A 7-year-old boy with severe congenital scoliosis and impending thoracic insufficiency syndrome underwent uneventful single magnetically controlled growing rod (MCGR) insertion and removal of his ipsilateral rib-based distraction implants at our institution. Intraoperative fluoroscopy imaging revealed an artifactual bend (S-distortion) of the rod actuator after placement. This artifact was eliminated by moving the image intensifier further from the patient.

CONCLUSION

We attributed the S-distortion to influences of magnetic fields within the MCGR actuator onto the image intensifier. Surgeons should be aware of such implications which can lead to misleading imaging artifacts. This is a first reported case of such incident with MCGR.