Image Acquisition and Evaluation in Digital Radiography of the Shoulder

Heidi Veillette, BSc, RT(R)(MR)*

*Medical Writer, Veillette Communications; Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Address correspondence to: Heidi@VeilletteCommunications.com

Disclosure statement: The author reports having no significant financial or advisory relationships with corporate organizations related to this activity.

ABSTRACT

Digital radiography (DR) is the first imaging study performed on patients experiencing shoulder pain or trauma. Radiologic technologists (RTs) produce DR images of the shoulder using various positioning techniques to accurately represent the anatomy and pathology, and in doing so, RTs must consider multiple factors that can affect the quality of the image. Image quality is optimized by choosing appropriate techniques and parameters, using accessory equipment like antiscatter grids, and understanding the inherent limitations of the X-ray tube and detector. High-quality images display shoulder anatomy with high spatial resolution, appropriate contrast, and minimal noise. This course aims to enhance RTs' skills in shoulder image acquisition and evaluation. It will review shoulder girdle anatomy, including its palpable landmarks for patient positioning and common shoulder pathologies. Routine and specialized shoulder projections will be covered along with a discussion of the radiographic appearance of anatomy and pathology of each view. Image acquisition parameters and quality characteristics will be discussed in detail, focusing on how multiple factors can affect the image's spatial resolution, contrast, and noise level. Finally, an overview of the image evaluation process, including an example evaluation of a shoulder image to help the RT understand the process will be detailed.

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