Page 181 - A Practical Guide to Equine Radiography

162 A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO EQUINE RADIOGRAPHY

Laterolateral (LL) (Figs 15.1–15.13) 7. Centre the X-ray beam dorsal to the jugu-
VetBooks.ir 1. Stand the horse square with all limbs lar groove; the level depends on the area of

interest:
equally weight-bearing and extend the neck
slightly with the help of a head stand. Avoid
any tilting or rotation of the head and neck. − Cranial neck: wings of the atlas
When obtaining radiographs of the cranial − Mid neck: C3
neck and occiput it may be useful to use − Caudal neck: C5
a rope/webbing headcollar and to pull the − Cervicothoracic junction: C7.
ears forward by attaching tape. Elevating
the head and neck may facilitate imaging 8. It is helpful to palpate the neck and use
the caudal portion of the neck. tape to mark position of the plate/centring.
2. Place the plate on one side of the neck in a Beware that some tape is radiodense though
vertical position in landscape orientation. and shows up on the radiograph!
3. Indicate right/left (plate’s side) with a 9. Align the field of view with the long axis of
marker. the cervical spine and collimate around the
4. Position the X-ray machine on the other area of interest.
side of the neck. 10. Exposure guide:
5. Focus–film distance: 100 cm. If a grid is
used, adjust the focus–film distance to the − Cranial neck: 70 kVp, 20 mAs
distance specified for the grid. − Mid neck: 80 kVp, 30 mAs
6. Use a horizontal X-ray beam, perpendicular − Caudal neck: 85 kVp, 40 mAs
to the long axis of the neck and the plate. − Cervicothoracic junction: 95 kVp, 60 mAs.

Figure 15.1 Positioning to obtain LL views of the cervical spine.

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