ABSTRACT
II. Radiography of the Carpus 1. Views of the Routine Radiographic Examination Five radiographic projections are included in the routine carpal examination. These include the two orthogonal views, i.e., dorsopalmar and lateromedial, the flexed-lateromedial, and the two oblique views. The angulation required to produce the routine views is simple, and the x-ray beam is centered at the level of the middle carpal joint for all five views. The cassette size for the carpal examination is 8 x 10 inches and a 400 speed screen-film combination is recommended. An 8 x 10 inch cassette holder and leaded gloves are used to make the exposures and the exposure field size is collimated to the skin surfaces in order to avoid personnel exposure from the primary beam and improve radiographic quality. As a guide to proper exposure factor for the portable xray machine, it is recommended that 80 kVp, 10 mA, and 0.1 sec at a 24-26 inch focal-film distance be utilized for all five exposures. However, these exposure factors should be adjusted for each xray unit to optimize radiographic quality.
