title: Selenium-based digital radiography versus conventional film-screen radiography of the hands and feet: a subjective comparison.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Piraino
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Davros
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lieber
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schils
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Recht
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Grooff
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Belhobek
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium