Intro Flashcards
How do plain films work?
Small dose of radiation passed through body
How many millirentgens are you exposed to with a normal radiograph? Normal exposure to natural sources?
200 milliroentgens.
100 milliroentgens per year
How will denser tissue absorb radiation?
Denser the tissue, the more it absorbs the radiation
What is decreased opacity called?
Lucency
What is increased opacity called?
Sclerosis
what object has the most radiodensity? Least radiodensity?
Metal-most radiodensity
Air-least
What are plain films best at assessing?
Arthritis Bony alignment bone infections bone CA Fractures
What are the abc’s of radiographs?
Alignment
bone/bone density
cartilage
soft tissue
When checking allignment, is it alright to check one view?
NO! You must always check two views.
if possible compare to the other side
What should you notice about the cortical lines?
Make sure it is intact throughout
What could a disruption, bulging or buckling of cortical bone be?
A fracture.
What does a fracture look like?
Tend to appear as lucent lines
How long does it take for a stress fracture to show up?
at least 2-3 weeks
What do you look for when assessing cartilage on a plain film?
Look at joint space. Should be smooth and distance between bones should be appropriate
Does soft tissue usually show up on plain films?
Not usually
How does swelling appear on radiograph?
Increased area of swelling will show up cloudy
What two conditions of the soft tissue can show up on radiographs?
Heterotrophic ossification and Myositis Ossificans
What is it called when Air or contrast is injected into a joint?
Arthrography
What is arthrography used for?
Assessing certain internal joint structures
Assessing joint integrity
How long after radiopharmaceuticals are injected is a bone scan taken?
3-4 hours
Where does medication concentrate in during a bone scan?
Any area of increased metabolic activity. Bladder will always show up black b/c this is where medication is eliminated
What are bone scans good for detecting?
Bone cancer/mets
fracture
bone infection
Metabolic disease (Pagets disease)
How is the specificity for bone scans?
low, as many conditions demonstrate increased uptake
What is a CT scanner?
Special x-ray equipment used to collect image data from around the body producting cross section of body tissue and organs
