ArticleSpine deformity2026
Additional vertebrae are imaged in 44% of pediatric patients when limited CTs are ordered: a pilot study.
Article in Spine deformity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo determine how often physician-ordered limited CTs in pediatric spine patients are not followed, and if this leads to excess radiation.
methodsSingle-center retrospective review of a tertiary pediatric spine practice. INCLUSION: CT scans ordered for specific vertebrae (e.g., L4-5) Exclusion: generalized regions (cervical, thoracic, lumbar). Demographics, CT orders and scans, and radiation data were obtained from electronic records. A vertebra was considered imaged only if the entire vertebral body was imaged. Analyses used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and one-way ANOVA with Tukey-adjusted post-hoc pairwise comparison.
results93 patients (mean age 16.1 ± 3.4) with 121 CT scans met criteria. In 53 (44%) CTs, more vertebrae were imaged than ordered, yielding a mean of 2.1 times more radiation. Scans occurred at 30 sites. A tertiary medical center with a new limited CT protocol performed 61 (50.4%) scans, with 49.2% scanning additional vertebrae. A private network of 3 outpatient imaging centers with established imaging protocols performed 26 scans, with 3.8% scanning additional vertebrae. The remaining 34 scans were performed at 23 external sites, with 64.7% scanning additional. The imaging center was significantly associated with additional vertebrae imaging frequency (X
conclusion44% of patients with limited CT scans of the spine had additional vertebrae scanned compared to what was ordered. This corresponded to an estimated mean of twice the intended radiation dose. Limited CTs at centers with established imaging protocols do not image additional vertebrae in > 96% of patients. Pediatric spine centers should look to develop specific limited CT protocols to help decrease radiation exposure.
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