title: FLUOROSCOPY DURATION IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the mean length of radiation emission from fluoroscopic devices during several types of orthopedic surgery and which of these required greater use of radiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The times taken to perform sixteen different types of surgery (total of 80 procedures) were measured. At the end of each procedure, the length of time for which fluoroscopy was used directly from the image intensifier was ascertained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean time required for fluoroscopy per operation was 61 seconds. The procedures that demanded greatest mean duration of radiation use were bilateral proximal femoral epiphysiodesis (5.1 minutes) and femoral shaft osteosynthesis using a locked intramedullary nail (3.33 min).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean duration of fluoroscopy use in orthopedic operations was 61 seconds. The procedures using an intramedullary device were the ones that required greatest radiation emission.
authors.affiliation: Resident Doctor of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of the Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joao Caron La
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Salvia
authors.affiliation: Medical Student in the 6 year at the Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pablo Reis
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Moraes
authors.affiliation: Medical Student in the 6 year at the Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tiago Yossef
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.affiliation: Full Professor of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Fundapão Faculdade Federal de Ciencias Médicas de Porto Alegre and Head of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of the Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Schwartsmann
keywords: Fluoroscopy; Orthopedics; Radiation Dosage