Selenium-based digital radiography versus conventional film-screen radiography of the hands and feet: a subjective comparison.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to subjectively compare the visibility of normal anatomy of the hands and feet using selenium-based digital radiography versus conventional film-screen (100-speed) radiography.


METHODS
Digital and film-screen images of the hands and feet of 24 patients were obtained without an antiscatter grid using identical X-ray exposure. Each pair of images was evaluated independently by five experienced radiologists for visibility of normal anatomy using a six-point rating scale. Soft tissues, cortical bone, and trabeculae were evaluated. For each observer, "equivalence" was defined as a mean difference in image quality of less than 1 unit on the 0-5 scale used in the study. Paired t tests were also performed to determine whether the average visibility rating of one technique was statistically superior to that of the other at a .05 level of significance for each observer and at each anatomic landmark.


RESULTS
In all categories, selenium-based digital images were rated equivalent to film-screen images by the five observers. Using the sum of the nine landmarks, four of the five observers rated the quality of selenium-based digital images superior to that of film-screen images.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjective visibility of normal anatomy of the hands and feet using selenium-based digital radiography was similar to that achieved using conventional film-screen radiography.
Piraino
D W
DW
Department of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
Davros
W J
WJ
Lieber
M
M
Richmond
B J
BJ
Schils
J P
JP
Recht
M P
MP
Grooff
P N
PN
Belhobek
G H
GH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005528:Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012643:Selenium; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens
D012643:Selenium