An Observational Survey of Nail and Skin of Spine Surgeons-Possible Damage by Occupational Ionizing Radiation Exposure

INTRODUCTION: Orthopedic surgeons are exposed to ionizing radiation daily. With the increase in the number of minimally invasive surgery performed under X-ray fluoroscopy, radiation exposure to unprotected fingers will increase. Although the effect of high dose radiation exposure is known, the long-term effect of exposure to low doses is unclear. This study aims to investigate damage to the nail and skin on the thumbs of spine surgeons via occupational ionizing radiation exposure. METHODS: Forty male spine surgeons (group S) and 40 males of the same age group who were not exposed to radiation (controls; group C) were included. Using a scoring system, we evaluated the damage to the fingernail and skin of the bilateral thumb. Scoring was based on fingernail pigmentation (melanonychia), fingernail crack, and periungual dermatitis status. We investigated the number of examinations and operations under radiation exposure in the last 3 months. RESULTS: Group S had 17.83 (3-28) years of surgeon experience. In group S, the dominant side scored significantly higher than the non-dominant side; however, there was no dominant vs. non-dominant difference in group C. Only the dominant side had a significantly higher score in group S than in group C. In group S, surgeon experience and the score of the dominant side were significantly correlated; however, for the non-dominant side of group S and both thumbs of group C, no correlation was observed. The kappa coefficients for fingernail pigmentation, fingernail crack, and periungual dermatitis status were 0.458, 0.248, and 0.612, respectively. The average number of examinations and operations under radiation exposure was 11.89 ± 9.04 (0-30) and 26.34 ± 14.67 (1-63), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The dominant side in group S had a significantly higher score than the non-dominant side in group S and the dominant side in group C, suggesting the possibility of radiation damage to the dominant side in group S.