Radiography
Radiography of the knee in a modern X-ray machine.
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| System | Musculoskeletal |
|---|---|
| Subdivisions | Interventional, Nuclear, Oncological |
| Significant diseases | Cancer, Bone fractures |
| Significant tests | Screening tests, X-ray, CT, MRI, PET, Bone scan |
| Specialist | Radiographer |
Radiography is an imaging technique that uses electromagnetic radiation other than visible light, specifically X-rays, to view the internal structure of a non-uniformly composed and opaque object (i.e. a non-transparent object of varying density and composition) such as the human body. To create the image, a heterogeneous beam of X-rays is produced by an X-ray generator and is projected toward the object. A certain amount of X-ray is absorbed by the object, which is dependent on the particular density and composition of that object. The X-rays that pass through the object are captured behind the object by a detector (either photographic film or a digital detector). The detector can then provide a superimposed 2D representation of all the object's internal structures. Contrast radiography uses a radiocontrast agent, a type of contrast medium, to make the structures of interest stand out visually from their background, whereas plain radiography does not. Each type is best suited to certain indications. In tomography, the X-ray source and detector move to blur out structures not in the focal plane. Conventional tomography is rarely used now having been replaced by CT. Computed tomography (CT scanning), unlike flat film tomography, generates 3D representations used for computer-assisted reconstruction. (Sometimes people say "plain radiography" when they mean nontomographic radiography.)
Applications of radiography include medical radiography and industrial radiography: if the object being examined is living, whether human or animal, it is regarded as medical; all other radiography is regarded as industrial radiographic work or Industrial computed tomography. The role of the Radiographer has changed dramatically as a result of more advanced equipment.
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