title: A novel stereotactic device for spinal irradiation in rats designed for a linear accelerator.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to report the design and positioning accuracy testing of a stereotactic device designed for a linear accelerator to perform spinal radiosurgery in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  To define the spatial and repositioning accuracy of the device, we measured the 3-dimensional (3D) translation of a paraspinal fiducial mark implanted by microsurgery in 5 Wistar rats during a sequence of setups and treatment simulations, thus obtaining final 3D translation vectors and maximum displacements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For spatial accuracy, the differential coordinate translations were 0.8 +/- 0.3, 0.6 +/- 0.2 and 0.5 +/- 0.1 mm in the x-, y- and z-directions, respectively. The median magnitude of the 3D vector was 1.3 mm (sigma = 0.2 mm), with a maximum error of 2.2 mm. The differential coordinate translation for the repositioning accuracy showed values of 1.4 +/- 0.3, 1.3 +/- 0.3 and 0.8 +/- 0.1 mm for the x-, y- and z-coordinates, resulting in a 3D displacement vector of 2.2 mm (sigma = 0.2 mm) and a maximum displacement error of 3.6 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a linear accelerator, our novel stereotactic device provides accurate immobilization and repositioning of paraspinal structures under experimental conditions in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ernesto E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lárraga-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Celis
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno-Jiménez
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Ruiz
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rios
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011859:Radiography; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*