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The National Cancer Institute from Chile possesses a wide variety of high-complexity equipment for cancer treatment and diagnosis that employs ionizing radiation with high and medium energy. Presently, the radiotherapy department is equipped with 5 clinical linear accelerators and one brachytherapy equipment, while the nuclear medicine department is equipped with a PET-CT, a single gamma camera, and a hospitalization room for betatherapy. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the Personal Doses Equivalent Reports from medical radiation workers between 2019-2022. The analysis involved extracting Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) measurements from digital reports using the Python Pandas library, and a database was constructed. The annual set of data was selected for each department to describe their behavior concerning Hp(10) total since PD8 dosimeters had the highest circulation. Additionally, using the boxplot format for the Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) distributions, means, medians, minimums and maximums, interquartile ranges and outliers were analyzed. While Hp(10) measurements exhibited an increase, Hp(0.07) measurements remained constant or experienced a decrease. All reported measurements were less than international tolerances. Finally, this initial descriptive statistical analysis enables the radiation safety officers to evaluate the applicability of inferential statistical analysis with stronger evidence and in an objective manner.

Thoracolumbar burst fractures are defined as those fractures involving compromise of the anterior, middle and posterior vertebral columns. The treatment for such vertebral fractures still remains undefined, raising questions about the best form of intervention in these cases. Because of these doubts, imaging methods play a key role in the preoperative workup. However, several tests and measurements are performed by spine surgeons before deciding on the best approach to be adopted, with no standardization and neither consensus. The present review was aimed at standardizing and describing the main techniques and radiological findings on the basis of instability criteria adopted by surgeons in the assessment of thoracolumbar burst fractures, namely extent of height loss of the anterior wall of the fractured vertebra, level of spinal canal compromise by bone fragments and degree of widening of interspinous and interpedicular distance. It is the authors' opinion that the standardization of the main measurements in the evaluation of thoracolumbar burst fractures by radiological methods will provide the information required for a better interpretation of tests results and consequently aiding in the decision making about the most appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]