In today’s age of modern technology, there are times when you have a procedure and think, “Now why haven’t we been doing this the whole time?” Money and power play a big part in the accessibility of medicine and treatments, but miiSpine doesn’t want to withhold potential time and pain-saving technology like some Big Hospitals do. That’s why we work to have the best of the best when it comes to medical technology while still offering our patients an affordable, accessible price.

And when we say the best of the best, we mean the EOSedge machine at miiSpine, which is working to bring big results and more effective solutions to the everyday person. 

With the help of cutting-edge imaging and diagnostic technology, miiSpine is proud to offer EOS Imaging to provide the best, safest, and most comprehensive diagnosis possible in regards to imaging options. The EOS machine is a powerful tool to have at your use, if uncommon to find in most independent medical practices, with enhanced capabilities in multiple areas. Some of the benefits include:

• Dual-plane radiographs that allow imaging from two directions
• A larger acquisition zone to accommodate patients of every size
• A fast patient cycle time, which means less time in the machine (approximately 20 seconds!) with more detailed results

What makes the EOS a vision from the future, though, is its ability to create full-body, natural weight-bearing images with 50-85% less radiation than traditional 2D x-ray imaging. This allows our doctors more ease and precision in analyzing your condition and pain while keeping you safe and comfortable even with multiple scans. Creating a personalized, accurate, and effective treatment plan at miiSpine has never been easier! 

A Full-Body, Global Assessment of Pain

This full-body data is a game-changing function because it takes into account how the body works together to create a highly complex machine; the EOSedge works to match that complexity by providing the most accurate, upright 3D data sets that 2D imaging cannot recreate. By capturing a natural weight-bearing posture and interactions between the hips, spine, knees, and neck, this improved imaging supports a global assessment of orthopedic function. Our doctors are able to observe the impact that each skeletal discrepancy plays on the body as a whole and then dial the results back to measurements by millimeter, because every detail counts!

In addition to the weight-bearing images, the EOSedge has the capability to run conventional radiographic exams and functional exams. These functional imaging exams help our doctors to observe the interaction of your bones and joints in a multitude of different, everyday positions, including:

• Bending
• Flexion
• Extension
• Seated acquisitions 

With as narrow of a scope as we have with this machine, pinpointing problems and generating solutions for your pain is more efficient and highly successful. 

Surgical and Specified Imaging Assistance

Not only can the EOSedge create precise, reviewed 3D images for the most accurate results with a quick turnaround, but it is also used for surgical planning and highly-specified hip imaging. 

These high-quality reconstructions lend to quantifiable and reproducible clinical parameters, giving doctors more to go off of in more detail. Utilizing this tool, surgeons and care plans are able to be acutely patient-tailored and produce optimal outcomes and corrections.

With the ability to assess spinopelvic changes from seated, bending, standing, etc. positions, the EOS machine can also lend to surgical data, if surgery is deemed necessary. miiSpine is still committed to finding non-intrusive solutions to pain and utilizing minimally invasive surgical practices when we do, but when treatment results in surgery, then the EOSedge is our best tool for patient safety and enhanced surgical ability. 

From the size of an implant to the position and orientation of them, amongst other uses, 3D surgical planning contributes to how minimally invasive surgery can be. Planning is fine-tuned into the most granular detail with the EOSedge providing functions such as:

• Age-adjusted alignment
• Rod planning
• Digital deformity correction

The more we know, the more we can do!

What This Means for Back Pain

The EOS is truly one of the most innovative, advantageous technological tools that miiSpine employs, and as a spine specialist clinic, we use our EOS machine to get the best results for our patients. When it comes to regular diagnoses, having that extra weight-bearing image is infinitely useful to our doctors in identifying where the pain is and why it’s occurring. From there, we can assess whether the pain is part of a condition, such as scoliosis or degenerative disc disease, and if there is a simple alignment discrepancy and treatment to pursue or if a surgical correction would better eliminate the pain. 

Since alignment is a big part of back pain problems, and we know that poor alignment causes issues not just in the back, but in the hips and legs as well, the EOSedge’s weight-bearing images shed more light on how the alignment issues developed and where they affect in the body. If the body isn’t shaped the way it’s supposed to be, then it won’t function correctly, and that leads to pain. Everyday habits that contribute to these issues can then be addressed and future pain can be prevented. And, in order for a good outcome, alignment needs to be considered not just in a singular sitting, standing, or prone position that traditional 2D imaging demands, but in all the ways that matter to us – the ways that we use to live a pain-free life, and that’s what the EOS does.

Even further, as mentioned before, miiSpine won’t default to spine surgery, but when we do, we want to be the best and give the best. The EOSedge gives us that ability, so that we can be even more minimally-invasive than we were before we had the heightened abilities and imaging power. 

Ultimately, advanced technology gives us advanced opportunity, and miiSpine wants to make that accessible to everyone. If you are experiencing mild to debilitating back or neck pain and are concerned that you may be suffering from a medical condition, you may benefit from finding an innovative spine physician with that technology available. Dr. Venu Vemuri at miiSpine is an award-winning doctor focused on providing a comprehensive treatment approach towards all types of back conditions and pain. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, call the Louisville, Kentucky miiSpine office today at (502) 242-6370.