Replacing hip CT scan with EOS scan
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does the EOS imaging system improve assessment of the hip in individuals aged 13 years and over compared to CT?
IRAS ID
309861
Contact name
Amaka C Offiah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 28 days
Research summary
The hip joint is made up of the rounded head of the thigh bone (the femur) and the pelvis's acetabular cup. The femoral version refers to the orientation of the femoral neck in relation to the condyles. Normally, the neck is oriented anteriorly (anteversion), but it can be oriented posteriorly as well (retroversion). Depending on the angle of anteversion or retroversion, the hip joint may be inherently unstable, resulting in abnormal gait and early degenerative change. The standard treatment of hip version abnormalities is surgery in the form of so-called "osteotomies," but the effect of surgery on gait has been poorly documented. Until recently, children's hip joints were assessed using conventional radiographs (x-rays), ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, examination under anaesthesia, and gait analysis. This latter technique was the only one capable of assessing the hip joint while bearing weight; however, it is also the only one that does not reveal the joint's appearance. All other techniques illustrate the anatomy of the joint; however, conventional radiographs provide only a two-dimensional view, CT uses extremely high doses of harmful radiation, hip ultrasound is difficult in patients over the age of five, and anaesthesia should be avoided whenever possible. Despite the high radiation dose, CT is currently the preferred method of post-operative imaging. A new imaging device, the EOS (not an acronym), was introduced recently. While it does use ionising radiation, the dose is extremely low, and EOS has the advantage of providing weight-bearing 3D images of the hip and the ability to generate multiple measurements semi-automatically, significantly reducing image analysis time. The hypothesis for this PhD project is that the weight-bearing EOS imaging system is equal or superior to standard-of-care computed tomography scans for assessing post-operative hip abnormalities in individuals aged 13 years and older.
REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
22/WA/0285
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion