Radiography: humerus

Introduction

• A high detail film-screen combination is required.
• A grid is required if patient thickness is >10 cm.
• In UK, kV should not exceed about 60.
• Both joints should always be included.
• Soft tissues should be included.
• General anesthesia or sedation is required.
• The film should be correctly exposed and developed, and free from movement blur and artefact.
• The anatomical marker must be clearly visible, along with the patient's identification, the date, and the name of the hospital or practice.

Uses

• → Fracture .
• → Panosteitis .
• → Neoplastic bone disease .
• → Soft tissue neoplasia invading bone.
• → Osteomyelitis .
• → Metabolic bone diseases.

Advantages

• Non-invasive.
• Equipment available in general practice.

Preparation

• Dependent upon the method of chemical restraint (GA or sedation).

Requirements

Materials required

Minimum equipment

• X-ray machine.
• Cassettes with high detail screens.
• Film ID system.
• Processing facilities.
• Immobilization and positioning aids: sandbags, foam wedges, 1" white tape or roll gauze.
• Protective clothing (lead-rubber aprons, gloves, thyroid shields).

Ideal equipment

• High output X-ray machine.
• Rare earth high detail screens.
• Automatic processing facilities.
• Film ID camera.

Minimum consumables

• Film ID card or tape.
• X-ray film.
• Pharmaceuticals for chemical restraint.

Sequelae

Reasons for treatment failure

• Incomplete studies (one view only) lead to misdiagnosis.
• Inadequate sedation.
• Failure to label film properly.
• Poor technique: inaccurate positioning or centring, wrong exposure factors, inadequate collimation.
• Poor processing.
• Equipment failure.