Detail and Distortion

Detail and distortion are two of the main geometric properties appearing on images in
radiography. Detail is the sharpness of structure lines and anatomy on an image also referred to
as definition, sharpness, recorded detail and in some cases spatial resolution; however, spatial
resolution is typically dependent on the system being used, the higher the bit depth capacity,
matrix and pixel size the better spatial resolution it will have. Distortion is the misrepresentation
of anatomy on an image. There are many different factors that contribute to each.

The amount of detail that is portrayed on an image firstly depends of the quality of
equipment being used. The image receptor and monitor resolution will affect the amount of
spatial resolution that is possible to be visualized on a monitor determined by line pairs per
millimeter (lp/mm), this can be measured with a lead tool, etched with lines measured at certain
distances. Other tools to measure spacial resolution are the point spread function, line spread
function and edge spread functions, which all determine the boundaries of an image in different
ways with different formulas. The modular transfer function compares the image taken to the
actual object it represents. Below is an example of a resolution test tool.

There are different things that affect how much detail is able to be seen, geometry, the
image receptor, and motion. The geometry contains the focal spot size as well as the distance,
which refers to the OID and the SID. An increased SID and decreased OID will increase the
amount of visible detail. A decreased focal spot size will increase detail visibility as well,
because a smaller focal spot allows for less penumbra around the object. Slow film/screen speeds
will give a better resolution than fast ones; it is dependent on the phosphor and its composition.
As the phosphor size decreases the resolution will increase, when it is thinner it increases, and
when the concentration increases resolution increases. Motion is the last factor that affects detail.
There are three types of motion, voluntary, involuntary and equipment. There are types of
motion that are difficult to control, such as involuntary motion of the heart, shorter exposure
times will attempt to fix this problem, while other types of motion such as voluntary motion can
attempt to be avoided using good communication of what is needed form the patient, the use of
immobilization devices may also be a good aid in reducing motion. Equipment motion, while not
often caught, can be a cause for unsharpness on images.

Distortion is referred to in two ways, size distortion and shape distortion. Distortion is a
geometric property and is described as the misrepresentation of the anatomy being imaged.
Certain occasions may find size distortion to be helpful, such as a tangential projection of the
patella. However many times distortion is to be avoided to be as accurate as possible. Size
distortion is magnification of a part on an image. This occurs due to OID and SID. If OID
increases and is not compensated for by increasing SID then the part being imaged will appear
larger than it is. Increasing SID reduces magnification, but also increase patient dose.
Magnification can be calculated using the magnification factor equation, which is:

Magnification factor = SID/SOD

Shape distortion is characterized by elongation and foreshortening. Elongation is when

the anatomy appears longer than it is, and foreshortening is when it appears shorter than it is.
There are a number of reasons why shape distortion occurs, including central ray alignment, if
the central ray does not align perpendicular to the cassette then it will throw the part off of the
cassette, distortion that cannot be avoided will occur due to beam divergence, which is another
reason the area of interest should be as centered as possible. It is also possible for the anatomical
part to cause shape distortion, if the part is not parallel to the cassette and perpendicular to the
grid it will appear elongated (when angled farther from the tube), or foreshortened (when angled
closer to the tube). Angulation of the tube is necessary in many instances, and in this case
elongation and foreshortening are expected and used to their advantage. Below is an image
depicting a part that was not parallel to the cassette and perpendicular to the central ray, causing
the distal radius to appear larger than it is and the proximal radius to appear smaller.