Fluoroscopic computed tomography: a demonstration of spinal imaging hypothesized applications for interventional pain management

Abstract

Spinal imaging has become an essential tool, assisting the interventional pain physician in providing safe, accurate and efficient needle placement for diagnostic evaluation or therapeutic interventions for chronic pain. Live fluoroscopy provides a two dimensional image of spinal anatomy. A recent technological advance allows adaptation of the C-arm to provide computed tomography (CT) and 3D surface model renderings of spinal anatomy. Compared to conventional CT, penetration power is less, thereby providing less resolution through more massive portions of anatomy. Fluoro CT may provide a cost-effective and real-time application of CT imaging that may prove useful to the interventional pain physician. The authors provide some demonstration of the imaging capability of this technology and some cadaver demonstrations of its potential utility for spinal needle placement.