Category: News

Radiation has a bad reputation, especially among lay people, but even in the medical community to a degree. Radiation is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and even in our own inner biological workings. The dangers of radiation exposure are real—high levels of radiation exposure have been shown to have a clear link to cancer in repeated reputable studies—but not all levels of radiation are known to increase cancer risks, or at the very least, not all levels of radiation are alike.

Medical professionals agree that radiation at appropriate levels has done a great deal of good in our world. Its usefulness in diagnostic medicine has reduced the need for surgeries and other invasive procedures and it has saved millions of lives. The medical establishment is now beginning to question if avoiding radiation when possible is the best approach for the best outcomes.

Medical professionals specializing in radiology and oncology have been pushing in recent years for further study on the effects of low doses of radiation for positive medical purposes. Previous research has focused on radiation at higher doses, such as situations in which individuals have survived nuclear warfare or live near radioactive sites. Studies regarding medical usage of radiation primarily has been concerned with higher doses as well, like those used in the treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, however, very little is known about smaller doses and its risks versus its benefits. So, the medical community is lobbying hard to acquire funding for this type of research.

On November 1, 2017, a meeting was held in which presentations were made before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy regarding the urgent need for funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for Basic Research on Low Dose Radiation. Among those in attendance was James A. Brink, MD, FACR. Dr. Brink is the Radiologist-in-Chief at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Juan M. Taveras Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Brink is also the Chair of the Board of Chancellors for the American College of Radiology (ACR). He and others spoke to the subcommittee regarding the importance of research on the effects of low dose radiation.

Dr. Brink and others explained that radiation is used in many items we use in our world today, and in fact occurs naturally in our environment. He also explained to the committee that “the most significant source of exposure to manmade radiation in humans is that associated with medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,” such as medical imaging in CT scans, X-rays, and other procedures. While we know the risks of cancer in exposure to high levels of radiation, he argued, there is much less certainty regarding the results of low levels.

Gayle Woloschak, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Radiology at Northwestern University, echoed Brink’s statements. She added that our knowledge about smaller radiation doses is inconsistent. And, as she described, “Contradictory data…make for contradictory assumptions.” Even medical professionals do not agree on how much radiation is too much radiation, so it has been deemed safest to work under the belief that medicine should utilize as little radiation as possible for imaging and similar procedures. Woloschak questioned that belief, and also urged the committee to consider the funding, insisting that “a small change in our knowledge can make for drastic changes in recommended policy.” She added that the highly conservative stance, in which we are “overprotecting” our patients from radiation, could actually be costing funds that could be otherwise used to advance our well-beings in other areas.

Brink, Woloschak, and other experts at the DOE meeting all made similar intriguing arguments for the need for more information regarding the effects of low dose radiation. They all seem to agree that there is a compromising middle ground now in which some medical professionals are adopting the philosophy that it is acceptable, and even advisable, to continue to carefully monitor radiation. However, it is important to think not in terms of lowest dose possible, but instead in terms of the dosage level that is safest and also most therapeutic. The need to determine that “sweet spot” is why funding and research, they argue, is so critical right now.

We at CurveBeam stay on top of trends in medicine and stay abreast of recent medical advances. It is our desire to design products and offer services that help you as physicians find the best possible outcomes for your patients. For more information about our product line, visit us at CurveBeam.com today!

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Works Consulted
“ACR Chair Asks Congress for Radiation Research Funds” http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=cto&pag=dis&ItemID=118753

http://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=106564

http://docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY20/20171101/106564/HHRG-115-SY20-Wstate-WoloschakG-20171101.pdf

http://docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY20/20171101/106564/HHRG-115-SY20-Wstate-BrinkJ-20171101.pdf

For those needing to analyze the relationship between morphology-based foot center (FC) and force/pressure-based center of gravity (COG), a study by Martinus Richter, M.D., Ph.D., Francois Lintz, M.D., Stefan Zech, M.D., and Stefan Meissner titled Combination of PedCAT with Pedography Shows Relationship of Morphology (Bone) Based Foot Center (FC) and Force/Pressure Based Center of Gravity (COG) showed that combining pedCAT with pedography fulfills those needs. The pedCAT gives you exact, bilateral, weight-bearing 3-dimentional views of the foot and ankle. By inserting a customized pedography sensor into the PedCAT, a new range of analyses was made possible.

In this study 36 patients/72 feet of patients 18 years of age and older were analyzed using pedCAT/pedography. Feet were scanned in a standing position with full weight-bearing. “The morphology based definition of the FC was performed with the pedCAT data following the TALAS algorithm. This algorithm takes different bony landmarks (Posterior calcaneal process, center of talar dome/tibial plafond, metatarsal heads) into consideration and calculates the FC. The force/pressure based COG was defined with the pedography data using a software based algorithm.”

While there is no relevant movement in the COG during the combined pedCAT/pedography scan, there was a 22.6 mm average distance between COG and FC, and FC was found to be distal to COG in all feet and lateral in 49 feet (68%), with no difference found between right and left feet. In other words, as expected, a difference between FC and COG was discovered using this method. Since there is a standard/typical shift between COG and FC, additional pedography may not be needed to predict COG based on FC.

Curvebeam, founded in 2009 by a group of individuals with a proven track record in the advances and compact 3D imaging device domain, designs and manufacturers imaging equipment for the orthopedic and podiatric specialties. The pedCAT from CurveBeam may be small (4’ x 5’), but it is increasingly being shown through research to make the podiatrist’s job a lot easier and their diagnoses more accurate than ever.

To learn more about the exciting new pedCat from CurveBeam, visit http://curvebeam.com/products/pedcat today!

Winner of the Medical Device Excellence Award, the Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF), is regularly employed to treat complex fractures, bone deformities, and nonunion (http://www.smith-nephew.com/). Once TSF is implemented in a patient, a surgeon inputs information about the initial deformity into computer software that analyzes it and creates a “virtual hinge” of the deformity, the first and most important step in the creation of a corrective daily plan.

The TSF’s six-axis movement allows for precise corrections, but treatment can be imperfect without the correct input parameters in deformity, frame, mounting etc. CT is just as accurate as x-ray when scanning these parameters, but it is far more efficient—reducing errors and delays in treatment.

Following the initial correction, up to one-third of patients will experience persisting deformities known as residual deformities. These deformities can result from incomplete or insufficient corrections, which can be resolved by inputting new information about the deformity into the software that creates prescriptive correction plans. With that said, inaccuracies in the mounting parameters will nearly always result in unexpected translation-angulation deformities.

According to the study, “Calculating the Mounting Parameters for Taylor Spatial Frame Correction Using Computed Tomography,” by Kucukkaya et al. (2011), the exacting calculations of mounting parameters are integral to rapidly and effectively resolving residual deformities, and computed tomography (CT) techniques are uniquely precise in these calculations. Intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative x-ray techniques require that the effects of magnification be calculated.

If mounting parameters change during treatment, which they often do, recalculation is necessary. These issues make exact calculations nearly impossible. In contrast, Kucukkaya et al. (2011) found that CT calculations account for such changes and complexities, reducing residual deformities as well as treatment delay. CT’s advantages are particularly obvious in deformities with rotational elements, which are especially prone to deformities.

The Taylor Spatial Frame relies on the input of accurate data. The precision and flexibility of CT sets it apart as the best method for calculating the necessary parameters. The one drawback of CT is the relative increase in radiation exposure, though these effects are not uniform throughout the body and are negligible in knee and ankle cases. This minimal risk can be reduced even further by utilizing Cone Beam CT instead of the conventional narrow beam.

By using a wide beam in a cone shape, CurveBeam systems reduce the number of scan rotations required around the region of interest and thus the exposure to radiation. Similarly, the systems dramatically lower mA settings and the need for close positioning to the region undergoing imaging. This nearly eliminates CT’s radiation, its sole drawback in TSF. The Taylor Spatial Frame, when paired with CurveBeam cone beams, increases the effectiveness of deformity treatment while reducing the occurrence and persistence of residual deformities. This is accomplished with risk of radiation nearly eliminated.

To learn more about the advantages of cone beam CT in Taylor Spatial Frame treatment just visit Curvebeam online today!

While the risks to health from medium- and high-level radiation have been studied for years and are relatively well-understood, the risks of exposure to low-level radiation are less clear. A new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B¹ found that low-level radiation exposure poses less risk to health than other issues, such as obesity, smoking, and air pollution.

The study, funded by the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, was published to give the layperson a place to start when discussing public policy. “Our target audience is a civil servant, activist, journalist, worker or student who is new to the field and needs to get to grips with the terminology, see an overview of what is currently known, and understand where (and why) there is still uncertainty,” Angela McLean, a professor of mathematical biology at the University of Oxford and the lead author of the study, told HCB News.²

The paper examined a full range of radiation exposures, ranging from low-dose all the way up to acute high-dose. Researchers studied the effect of radiation on workers in the nuclear, medical, and mining industries, as well as background environmental exposure from substances such as radon. The authors also reviewed studies of real-life incidents of radiation exposure such as the Japanese Life Span study of atomic bombing survivors, as well as those of emergency workers in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accidents.

The results? Dr. McLean says, “We know a great deal about the health risks from radiation thanks to exceptionally careful studies of groups of people exposed to different levels from nuclear bombs or accidents, medical exposure of patients, naturally occurring sources (such as radon), and workers in the nuclear industry and medicine. From these studies it is clear that moderate and high doses of radiation increase the risk of developing some types of cancer.”³ But perhaps more importantly, the study showed that obesity, tobacco smoking, and exposure to ambient particulate air pollution pose a greater risk in shortening the years in a person’s life span than the effects of low-level ionizing radiation.

CurveBeam designs and manufactures Cone Beam CT imaging equipment specifically designed for the orthopedic and podiatric specialties, including the pedCAT, a compact, ultra-low dose CT imaging system. This technology allows doctors to make a better diagnosis the first time, eliminating the need for additional scans and, therefore, reducing low-level radiology exposure to patients. Best of all, the practice has access to the results right away.

To learn more, visit Curvebeam.com today.

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¹ http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1862/20171070
² https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/39096?utm_campaign=2017-09-14&utm_source=DOTmed+Non Registered+News&utm_medium=email
³ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170913104428.htm

Anyone who has been skiing knows that the difference between a fantastic day of carving and a night of aches and pains can come down to the fit of your ski boots. New boots are the easiest way to improve both the comfort and quality of your skiing experience, and the only way to achieve a perfect fit is with a custom boot.

One company, Surefoot, has created a design unique to the industry that offers customers the perfect pair of made-to-measure ski boots.

Poorly fitted ski boots waste a great deal of movement, causing fatigue and lack of control, and can even result in injury. Ski boots consist of a hard shell, with a separate liner and insole. The boots attach to the skis via mechanical bindings, creating a rigid connection between the skier and the ski. In order to prevent injury and loss of control, this connection must be as direct and immobile as possible.

To turn a ski, you apply pressure to the edges of the skis, which bite into the surface of the snow and pull you in that direction. Today’s skis feature advanced designs and materials, making them highly responsive to the skier’s input. However, most people have irregular feet, with high or low arches, or directional biases, which can cause unintentional inputs. For example, many people have pronated feet, which cause the skis to naturally turn towards each other. Your body compensates for these normal biases by adjusting the leg muscles; however, this means that you are constantly fighting your own body, wasting valuable energy, and giving up control.

That’s where made-to-measure boots come in. They place your feet into a neutral position, compensating for any natural biases of the foot, allowing you to carve comfortably with minimum fatigue and maximum control.

Surefoot supplies its customers with the perfectly fitted boot, thanks to its unique measurement system. Their proprietary foot scanner measures the customer’s foot in 538 individual places, creating a topographical map. This map is used to mill the insole, which is then added to the ability-specific shell, chosen based on the customer’s particular skiing habits. Finally, a custom liner is injection molded into the boot.

This process removes the hotspots and pressure points common in many stock boots, increasing comfort and vital blood-flow. It also puts the skier into a neutral, balanced stance—and all with virtually no break-in period!

As a leader in orthotics weight bearing CT imaging, CurveBeam cares deeply about innovations in the orthopedic and podiatric industries. Surefoot’s unique method of fitting boots is a brilliant use of cutting-edge industry technology. In order to ski comfortably and maintain peak control, skiers need boots that work with their individual bodies. Surefoot’s proprietary system allows them to measure and manufacture the most precise fit possible.

Just like Surefoot, CurveBeam allows orthopedic doctors to quickly and accurately serve their patients’ individual needs with the latest and most effective imaging technology. CurveBeam’s unique Cone Beam CT technology employs a wide, cone-shaped beam. One rotation captures the region of interest. CurveBeam systems have a fixed tube current (mA) of 5, which is well below ultra-low-dose settings of traditional medical CT. Its image quality of high contrast, hard tissue features is equivalent to conventional CT. The flat panel detector is positioned closer to the anatomy being imaged, which means less X-Ray dose is required to capture similar signal strength, as compared to conventional CT.pedCAT system allows foot & ankle specialists to obtain a true weight bearing, bilateral scan of the feet & ankles in 48 seconds. The pedCAT is compact and plugs into a standard wall outlet, so can easily be placed in a podiatric or orthopedic clinic. Scans are high resolution and ultra-low dose.

To learn more, visit CurveBeam online today! To learn more about the pedCAT, click here.

Adult acquired flatfoot deformity is a common, complex disorder associated with the failure of various soft-tissue structures involving and affecting the arch of the foot. It can differ in both severity and location, which contributes to the complexity of analyzing the problem among patients. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to characterize this deformity with standard radiography. Evidence strongly suggests, though, that weight-bearing (WB) imaging is vastly superior to non-weight-bearing (NWB) imaging.

Using high-resolution cone beam CT, orthopedic surgeons can obtain measurements analogous to traditional radiographic parameters of adult acquired flatfoot deformity, according to a recent study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

The study also found weight bearing images better demonstrated the severity of osseous derangement. WB scans show increased deformities across almost all parameters compared to NWB conditions, including a 78 percent decrease in forefoot arch angle in WB scans compared to NWB scans. Additionally:

• On the axial view,
  • the talus-first metatarsal angle and talonavicular coverage angle increased by 57% and 43% respectively;
• In the coronal plane, 25% to 39% decreases in the navicular-to-skin and navicular-to-floor distances;
  • 22% and 38% decreases in the medial cuneiform-to-skin and medial cuneiform-to-floor distances, respectively;
  • 16% difference in the calcaneofibular distance;
  • 9%, 19% and 36% increases in the subtalar horizontal angle at the posterior, middle and anterior positions, respectively;

Although a relatively small sample size was used (12 men and 8 women), the differences discovered were so significant as to be adequate to support the researcher’s conclusions.

Another limitation of the study was researchers used a cone beam CT extremity scanner that could not visualize the whole length of the first metatarsal, especially the distal aspect, due to the limited field of view. This impediment greatly contributed to the low reliability of all measurements that involved the assessment of the first metatarsal axis. The CurveBeam pedCAT has the largest field-of-view in its class, and a single scan can capture both entire feet.

Weight-bearing (WB) radiographs have been the typical tools used to determine the degree of deformity in flexible adult acquired flatfoot deformity, but the use of WB computed tomography (CT) is on the rise because of its ability to create 3D images better able to show doctors the full complexity of the structural failures. WB 3D extremity cone-beam CT has recently been shown to outperform even multidetector CT when evaluating foot & ankle bone anatomy—and with less radiation exposure.

High-resolution 3D cone-beam CT imaging allows you to reliably assess flexible adult acquired flatfoot deformity during physiological upright WB. Its results are at least analogous to traditional radiographic measurements, and WB is shown to be considerably more accurate than NWB. More clinical work is needed to support these conclusions, but with more widespread adoption of high-resolution 3D cone-beam CT imaging, we expect to see these results reproduced.

The CurveBeam pedCAT was on display at the 20th National Conference on Foot and Ankle Surgery in Beijing in early September. We had the privilege of meeting with new and current clients, sharing advancements in the industry, and networking with key industry professionals. Dr. Francois Lintz, a pedCAT user and orthopedic surgeon at Clinique L’Union in France, gave a keynote speech on current trends in orthopedic surgery.

Professor Shang, host of the conference, is the director of the Tongren Hospital Foot & Ankle Center, which is the first hospital in China to utilize the pedCAT. During Professor Shang’s education session, he shared his first-hand experience with pedCAT in the Tongren hospital. He also discussed the value in using the pedCAT in a research capacity.

CurveBeam’s distributing partners in China note that BeBeijing is an exciting place for orthopedic treatment. pedCAT’s ability for diagnosis and international research potential is considered especially valuable throughout China as physicians can use it as a tool to prove, through research, that their abilities and skills are on par with the world’s academic elites.

The PedCAT allows Chinese doctors to see point-of-care advanced diagnostic imaging and provide patients with comprehensive treatment plans. The single scan protocol captures both feet and ankles in one volume, a feature great for physicians and patients.

The conference was a great experience to advance the CurveBeam brand throughout Asia. From conversation with researchers to strategy sessions with potential clients, we are already looking forward to next year’s conference.

CurveBeam designs and manufactures Cone Beam CT imaging equipment for the orthopedic and podiatric specialties. To learn more about pedCAT’s value as well as our other innovative products, please visit the website at CurveBeam.com.

An increasing number of U.S. residents over the age of 65 has expanded the need for longer-lasting knee implants. Orthopedic companies have responded by developing new technologies that have resulted in more durable implants. This, according to ODT, has in turn led to “an increase in the number of younger patients receiving them.” At the same time, older knee implants will continue to deteriorate, and therefore need to be replaced. This means growing opportunities for these same orthopedic companies.

In other words, these are not your parents’—or grandparents’—knee implants. Past implants were primarily made of metal or metal/polyethylene, but newer artificial joints use water-resistant ceramic or plastic in at least one component, and are designed to address metal sensitivities. And with computerized navigation and electromagnetic probes, surgeons can replace knee joints with increasing accuracy. Often the whole knee no longer has to be removed and replaced; rather the bone can have a small part shaved off and resurfaced. These advancements in surgical materials and techniques have resulted in a tripling of total knee replacements in people ages 45 to 64 from 2000 to 2010.

Rather than a total knee replacement, a patient often only needs a unicompartmental, or partial, knee replacement. This usually involves replacing only the inside (medial side) of the knee, as this is often the first part to wear out. The outside (lateral portion) of the knee can be done in a similar fashion, with little pain, a quick recovery, and only a small scar in each case. For those with knee arthritis, unispacers are now used—especially in younger patients—to separate the knee surfaces and keep them from grinding together.

(Read about how weight bearing CT imaging has been used in osteoarthritis research here: http://www.curvebeam.com/products/lineup-investigational-only/studies/)

Add to this the fact that these less intrusive methods only require local anesthesia, and newer pain medications and pain management methods are now available. Modern knee surgeries also mean faster recovery time—and an earlier return to work and other daily activities.

There’s little question that increased innovations are less invasive, making knee surgeries more common. New materials, and even biomaterials developed using stem cell research to create individualized natural cartilage, are on the horizon, meaning this well-established, mature market is set for some serious changes.

CurveBeam was founded in 2009 by a group of individuals with a proven track record in the advances and compact 3D imaging device domain. The company designs and manufacturers Cone Beam CT imaging equipment for the orthopedic and podiatric specialties.

To learn more about how CurveBeam technology can help you get the best images for your patient and their needs, visit us at http://CurveBeam.com today!