Radiographic Positioning

What the page covers

This unit sits in the Medical Imaging and Radiation strand of Medicine and health (other or general). Most resources are flashcard decks, with quizzes, mind maps, slide sets and a note alongside them. They were made by GoConqr users, so wording and depth vary from one to the next.

• Limbs: the Unit 5 - Upper Extremity deck covers digit, thumb and other projections, and asks what happens when the part is not parallel to the image receptor. Further decks cover the elbow and the tibia, fibula, knee and patella.
• Skull and face: decks on lateral skull, Townes skull, paranasal sinuses and facial bones, plus a quiz on skull rotation.
• Chest and abdomen: the Unit 2 - CXR & ABD evaluation deck looks at what makes a chest image repeatable and how a pneumothorax appears.

Where to start

Begin with the X-ray interpretation deck. It covers image quality characteristics, penetration and contrast, which makes later positioning decks easier to follow. Then move to the Unit 5 - Upper Extremity deck, and read the slide set Upper Limb Radiography to see how a projection is described step by step.

The note Image Correction Tips is a short read on checking rotation on a chest image, by comparing the distances between the spine and the ends of the clavicles.

Using quizzes and mind maps together

The mind maps work well as a first pass. The Chapter 1 map covers palpation, bony landmarks and using the hand as a ruler. The Chapter #5 map explains how pairs of landmarks define a positioning line. Chapter 6 Adapting Positions to Digital Equipment and Chapter 9 Adapting Skull Positions: Routine and Trauma cover digital systems and trauma work.

1. Read a map to get the outline.
2. Run through the matching flashcard deck.
3. Take a quiz such as Positioning Quiz and note what you missed.
4. Go back to the map for those gaps.

Next step

Teachers can pick decks and quizzes to share with a class. Whatever your route, choose one topic today and try its quiz.