What is EOS Imaging?

What is EOS Imaging?

Children’s Nebraska offers a low dose, 3D X-ray imaging system — the EOS System® — that uses 50 to 80% less radiation than a typical X-ray. This enables us to provide As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) imaging, which means it limits your child’s exposure to radiation to the lowest and safest amount possible to still get the results we need.

With EOS, our physicians can make an informed diagnosis and develop treatment plans for your child’s spine, hip or knee condition. Children’s is the only hospital in Nebraska offering EOS imaging.

The Benefits of EOS Imaging

EOS is especially helpful for children who require frequent medical imaging. The Micro Dose setting reduces radiation significantly. One Micro Dose exam is similar to one week of natural radiation in a child's daily environment.

Julia's Story: The Benefits of EOS Imaging

Julia learned she has scoliosis — a spine disease that affected the curvature of her back. This condition requires frequent imaging tests to guide care. Learn how Children’s The EOS system® helped providers diagnose and treat her disease with limited radiation exposure.

Watch Julia's Story

What is EOS Imaging Used For?

The EOS System is primarily used to assess patients with spine, hip and leg disorders. Because of the low radiation dose, EOS is ideal for progressive conditions that require frequent medical imaging, such as scoliosis.

EOS is not typically used for injuries that can be evaluated with general radiography, such as broken bones in the arms, legs, hands or feet. Traditional X-rays are still the standard of care for diagnosing these injuries.

Common spine disorders that EOS can be used for include:

• Spine curvature (scoliosis)

• Early onset scoliosis

• Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

• Round back (kyphosis)

• Flat back (lordosis)

• Slipped vertebra (spondylolisthesis)

Common lower limb disorders that EOS can be used for include:

• Leg length differences

• Angular deformities from growth, trauma or infection

• Bowed legs (varus misalignment)

• Knock knees (valgus misalignment)

• Torsion abnormalities

What to Expect

How it Works

During the Exam

An EOS exam uses two very fine X-ray beams that can capture both front and side images at the same time. Your child will stand or be seated while the EOS System scans their body.

The EOS System can image the entire body in less than 20 seconds and can reduce the total procedure time to about four minutes.

After the Exam

After the exam, you will return to the clinic area where your child’s orthopedic physician will review the results and complete your child’s exam.

There are no special instructions for your child to follow after the procedure is complete.

Test Results

The images from the EOS exam are available immediately. In some cases, the physician will order a 3D model to view detailed information and reliably measure anatomical parameters. 3D models can take up to 72 hours to be generated. Once your results are ready, a report is sent to your physician who will then discuss the results with you and determine next steps.