RADIATION EXPOSURE DURING FLUOROARTHROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED ANTERIOR CRUCIATE RECONSTRUCTION

We prospectively evaluated the radiation exposure during 50 consecutiv e fluoroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions . Three different methods of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were performed using either rolled fascia lata allograft or bone-tend on-bone autograft. For the 50 procedures, total time using the fluoros cope was 119.61 minutes, or 2.38 minutes per procedure. The 16 primary fascia lata allograft reconstructions averaged 1.38 minutes of fluoro scope use per procedure compared with 4.69 minutes for the two revisio n allograft fascia lata surgeries, 3.14 minutes per procedure for the 30 primary bone-tendon-bone reconstructions, and 4.18 minutes per proc edure for the two surgeries performed with an allograft meniscal trans plant. The difference in exposure time between the 16 primary allograf t fascia lata surgeries and the 30 primary allograft or autograft bone -tendon-bone surgeries was statistically significant. The average radi ation exposure to the surgeon was 0.67 mrem per minute of fluoroscope use. It would take 7463.08 minutes of fluoroscope time, or 11,139 prim ary fascia lata allograft reconstructions, to exceed the recommended o ccupational exposure limit of 5000 mrem per year. It appears that the orthopaedic surgeon receives minimal radiation when using the fluorosc ope to assist in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, especially when doing a primary fascia lata allograft procedure.