개선된 Fulcrum을 이용한 Bending radiograph의 유용성에 관한 고찰

The Usefulness of the Self-made Fulcrum in Bending Radiography

Purpose : The quality of Bending Radiography is determined as how well the curvature of the spine gets straightened for the evaluation of the flexibility of spine curvature and the prognosis of operation. The methods in conventional fulcrum have disadvantages: a physician is needed to apply the pressure and exposed to radiation and the force exerted is difficult to standardize. We studied the usefulness of the self-made fulcrum in Bending Radiography comparing the conventional fulcrum. Materials and Methods : Fifty five patients (male: 19, female: 39, meanage: 15 years old) underwent in either conventional or self-made fulcrum in Bending Radiographyfrom January 2008 to July 2009. Also ten volunteers were answered the questionnaire about the pain, comfort, stability, reliability of the examination after positioned in the same condition like a patient and scored a point to each item from 1 to 5 (very bad to excellent). We alternatively used a conventional fulcrum (rectangular Styrofoam, a several size of padded cylinder) or the self-made fulcrum which is shaped a padded semicircle with a roller to control a height. An X-ray equipment (PHLIPS VM, Phillips Medical System, Nederland) was used for Bending Radiography. Ten patients who are between 20-30 degree of cobb’s angle among 55 patients were compared and evaluated respectively in conventional and self-made Fulcrum. Results: The changes of cobb’s angle in conventional Fulcrum and self-made Fulcrum were 9±4.8 and 16±2.0 respectively. The scores of the questionnaire in the conventional and self-made Fulcrum were 3.3±0.6 and 2.7±0.9 in pain, 3.1±0.7 and 2.2±1.07 in comfort, 3.3±0.9 and 2.5±0.9 in stability, 2.6±0.8 and 3.8±0.8 in reliability of examination. Conclusion : In Bending Radiography using self-made fulcrum, a physician was not needed to apply the pressure and no radiation was exposed, the curvature of the spine got better straightened than in conventional fulcrum, the pain of examination was decreased and reliability of it was increased, and however the comfort and stability of examination were a little lower than the conventional fulcrum because the position of patient was lateral decubitus, Finally, the self-made fulcrum in Bending Radiography showed the usefulness clinically when we consider the radiation of physician.