7 Recommendations for further research

7 Recommendations for further research

7.1 Research is needed to quantify the health outcome benefits associated with imaging improvements with the EOS system. Examples of such benefits might include reduced back pain or reduced postural difficulties in people with scoliosis, or longer lasting and less painful joint replacements. Although research into the use of the EOS system is appropriate for all the indications included in the scope, the research most likely to be useful is for planning hip and knee replacement, including patient selection, device selection, and surgical approach. Joint replacement operations are more common than the other indications and the EOS system is thought to be most likely to provide benefit to these patients.

7.2 Additional methodological research is needed to determine the most appropriate model structures to assess the benefit arising from radiation dose reduction. Additional work is needed to assess when the radiation-induced cancers actually occur and the impact of the timing of the emergence of cancer on health status.

7.3 Research is needed to determine whether, and for which conditions, use of the EOS system for 3D reconstruction provides benefit for diagnosis or treatment planning.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)