Availability of thyroid protective lead shields and their use by trainee orthopaedic surgeons

The sensitivity of the thyroid to radiation is well documented, and a preliminary study 1 suggested an increased incidence of thyroid cancer in Australian orthopaedic surgeons. A study by Dewey and Incoll, 2 in which orthopaedic trainees followed their usual radiation protection practice and wore a radiation monitor for a three month period while operating, revealed that 50% wore thyroid shields, and that the exposure ranged from 0.01 to 0.4 mSv.