title: [Dose reduction of radiographs of the pediatric pelvis for diagnosing hip dysplasia using a digital flat-panel detector system].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a possible dose reduction in pediatric pelvic radiographs in congenital hip dysplasia using a digital flat-panel system instead of a phosphor-storage system.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a six-month period, all pediatric patients referred for pelvic radiography for the evaluation of congenital hip dysplasia were randomly assigned to be examined by either a phosphor-storage system or a digital flat-panel system, whereby the latter system was operated with half the radiation dose. Thirty pairs of radiographs were assessed for the visibility of 16 anatomic details and for 5 orthopedic-radiographic measurements (5-point scale with 1 = excellent; three independent observers). The projection indices of Ball and Kommenda and of Tönnis and Brunken were calculated for all radiographs. The Student's t-test was used to compare the flat-panel and the phosphor-storage radiographs for observers' assessments, patients' age and projection indices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a total of 7560 observations, the scores for the visibility of anatomic details and orthopedic-radiographic measurements were respectively 2.72 and 2.64 for the flat-panel system and 2.93 and 2.79 for the phosphor-storage system. No significant differences were found between both systems (p > 0.05) and between patient age and projection indices (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric pelvic radiographs can be obtained with a digital flat-panel system using half the radiation dose instead of a phosphor-storage system without sacrificing relevant information in the diagnosis of congenital hip dysplasia.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Radiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany. lud@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahlers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sandmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gosheger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kloska
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vieth
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006618:Hip Dislocation, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*