Stifle radiograph Flashcards
2 view commonly taken of the stifle
Lateral and caudo-cranial
How is lateral stifle view done
Technically medio-lateral
The dog is in lateral recumbency with the leg to be imaged flexed at 90 degrees
The upper limb is either- Cranially out of the way with a rope tie (careful not to tie too tight) or sand bag
Laterally out of the way with a rope tie
How is a caudo-cranial stifle radiograph performed
The dog is in ventral recumbency and the limb is extended caudally
A sandbag on the pelvis may help maintain extension of the hip
The opposite hind limb is lifted laterally by a sandbag so that the affected limb can be held in a non-rotated position
Rotate limb so patella is in the midline
Centring and collimation for lateral stifle radiograph
The exposed area should include 50%/1/3 if the femur and 50%/1/3 of the tibia fibula
Collimate to include soft tissues cranial and caudal to stifle
The centre of collimation should be the stifle joint or slightly more distal (often centred at level of tibial tuberosity)
In a well positioned lateral stifle view how should the femoral condyles be
superimposed and not rotated
Centring and collimation for caudo-cranial stifle radiograph
Centre at the middle of the stifle joint
Collimate to include the distal 50% of the femur and proximal 50% of the tibia / fibula
Collimate to include the lateral and medial soft tissues
How to know if a caudo-cranial stifle radiograph is correctly positioned
the femoral condyles of equal size with the patella in the midline (no limb rotation)
Centring on the middle of the joint means there is good visualisation of the joint space
Why is a cranio-caudal stifle radiograph difficult
can result in magnification distortion as it is difficult to get the stifle close to the table
It may also be more difficult to take a radiograph without rotation as it is difficult to hold the limb slightly rotated (femur needs to be rotated medially)
