Innovative Spine Imaging Enhances Safety and Precision

Scripps has long been at the forefront of innovation and has adopted advanced technology that is redefining what is possible in spinal care. Scripps spine surgeons today are using a low-dose, weight-bearing imaging system, called EOSedge, to help diagnose and treat spine conditions.  

The device captures high-quality, full-body images in just seconds — with significantly reduced radiation exposure — and provides advanced tools for surgical planning. Its use has allowed Scripps physicians to think big and continue to lead the way in improving spinal care. 

Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines is the first in San Diego County offering this leading-edge technology for adult care. Even in a health system known for using the most advanced technology, this system stands out as making a profound impact, says Gregory Mundis, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. 

“For us surgeons, the predictability of successful surgeries has just skyrocketed,” he says. 

In the past, if physicians needed images of the entire spine, they’d have to take multiple X-rays, which would then have to be digitally spliced together. The patient would be repeatedly exposed to radiation to capture those images — both before and after surgery. 

The EOSedge imaging system allows doctors to quickly image the entire body, from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, with one scan. Additionally, patients simply walk into a tube-like device rather than laying down — and being moved around — on a table or standing in front of a plate. 

This new method reduces patients’ radiation exposure by 80% to 90%, while providing doctors with more information than they had before, explains Robert Eastlack, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. 

“This full-body image gives us a clear picture of all the parts of the body, and we can see how those parts are working together to impact and shape the spine,” Dr. Eastlack says.  

“When you’re repairing something surgically, like the spine, if we don’t understand what's going on outside of that particular area of concern, then we can actually create a bigger problem. A comprehensive image allows us to see all of the areas so that we can avoid those problems,” he says. 

In addition to providing Scripps’ surgeons with more information about a patient’s spine before surgery, advanced imaging has also changed how they prep for it. 

“When I’m preparing for surgery, I can upload the images into a software planning platform and three-dimensionally reconstruct the spine into the desired shape and structure,” Dr. Mundis says. 

The knowledge gained from the use of this technology may also lead to advances on a larger scale. 

“Now that we’re able to access all of this data at an individual level, with the help of AI, we can coalesce that data to answer much bigger questions about spinal care and spinal health,” Dr. Eastlack says. “Then we’re able to share that information with the surgical community worldwide.” 

This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.