Lowering lumbar spine CT radiation by 40 %

Thanks to a new study, Dr Junghyun Lim’s spine patients at Seoul's Yeouido St Mary's Hospital are now receiving less radiation during CT scans. The study involving 107 patients used semi-automated attenuation-based tube potential selection at 100 kilovoltage, not the standard 120 kilovoltage. By employing an algorithm that factored in the size of the patient, the radiation dose could be lowered by 41%. Musculoskeletal radiologists scored the lower radiation images and found that diagnostic quality was obtained no matter how the images were reconstructed—standard filtered back projection or iterative reconstruction, which are two approaches used to reduce image noise. Dr. Lim notes that his facility performs between 140-150 lumbar CT exams each month. Based on the results of this study, "the routine lumbar spine CT exam is now conducted at 100 kilovoltage using filtered back projection, he says.

Regional association plots and recombination rates at the AIS susceptibility locus on chromosome 6q24.1.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis gene found?

After comparing genomes of thousands of Japanese individuals with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) to genomes of Japanese people without AIS, scientists from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Tokio have identified a gene related to susceptibility to the condition. The association has been repeated in Caucasian and Han Chinese populations. Located on chromosome 6, the GPR126 gene is expressed in cartilage and contributes to human height and trunk length. Experiments to limit the gene in zebrafish caused delayed ossification of the developing spine. The authors wrote, “Our finding suggests the interesting possibility that GPR126 may affect both AIS susceptibility and height through abnormal spinal development and growth.“