Strategy to reduce radiation exposure in postoperative spinal computed tomography scans.

Background: When diagnosing and treating spinal disorders, spine surgeons commonly utilize computed tomography (CT) scans preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively.

Methods: This article reviews the literature regarding the potentially harmful effects of X-rays, specifically from CT scans.

Results: The risk for damaging DNA and developing cancer increases with increasing scan length (e.