9/6a Intro to Imaging

Question 1

Radiography

Answer 1

Conventional radiograph is generated from x-rays/films that help us to visualize the image of bones

Question 2

Attenuation

Answer 2

the degree to which the x-rays are absorbed, scattered, or passed right through the body. Dependent on a lot of factors

Question 3

Factors that impact attenuation of a radiograph

Answer 3

Thickness of the tissue
Atomic number of the tissue
Density of the tissue

Question 4

What attenuates least in a radiograph?

Answer 4

Air, thus the lungs show up as black in a radiograph

Question 5

Radiodense

Answer 5

things that absorb and scatter the x-rays to the largest degree are the most - cortical bone is the most radiodense, then spongey

Question 6

Radiolucent

Answer 6

lungs and gas in the colon - appear black in the image

Question 7

Radioopqaue

Answer 7

not naturally occurring in the body, so they appear really white (screws, barium swallow, etc.)

Question 8

Contrast

Answer 8

degree to which two adjacent structures appear different in their quality

Question 9

T/F: whatever you are interested in should be as close to the recording medium as possible?

Answer 9

TRUE

Question 10

Standard X-ray layout

Answer 10

A to P projection

-exceptions are: the chest and the hands and feet (P to A projection)

Question 11

T/F: if oriented correctly, the right side will be the same as your right side

Answer 11

FALSE - the right side will be the opposite of your right side

Question 12

Positions for x-ray

Answer 12

General body position - anatomical

Specific body position - semi-erect (SE) and weight bearing (WB)

Question 13

Projection path of the X-ray

Answer 13

A to P
Lateral (as close to 90 degrees from AP plane)
Each joint of the body has routine projections

Question 14

ABCS

Answer 14

A-alignment
B-Bone Density
C-Cartilage Assessment
S-Swelling

Question 15

what is the significance of alignment in an x-ray

Answer 15

Size of the Bone
Number of Bones
Shape of Bones
Contour of BOnes
Bone and Joint position
Most common cause of mal-alignment is trauma to the joint (muscle may appear more radiodense than normal)

Question 16

what is the significance of bone density in an x-ray?

Answer 16

Bone quality gives you the degree of mineralization
Normal bone should be close to radio-opaque
Fine lines are trabeculae - normal healthy bone have this

Question 17

issues with bone density

Answer 17

• erosive hand sclerosis - issue with bone density, increased whiteness in the carpals because there is bone to bone contact and less radiodense in the fingers
• osteopenia - early diagnosis for osteoarthritis

Question 18

Cartilage assessment significance

Answer 18

Indirect assessment, looking for space between joint to be parallel and radiolucent, are spaces between bone equal and big?

Question 19

Swelling significance

Answer 19

• swelling appears when there are issues in the soft tissue
• degree of contrast will not be the same as normal
• fat pad sign is radiolucency anteriorly is fine, but posteriorly means that there is a fracture in the joint