Radiography
Volume 16, Issue 4 , Pages 333-338, November 2010

PA positioning significantly reduces testicular dose during sacroiliac joint radiography

  • Nejc Mekiš

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • ,
  • Mark F. Mc Entee

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin 4, Ireland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +353 1 716 6536/6545.
    web address
    • ,
  • Peter Stegnar

      Affiliations

    • Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Received 14 September 2009; received in revised form 8 April 2010; accepted 19 April 2010. published online 17 May 2010.

Abstract 

Radiation dose to the testes in the antero-posterior (AP) and postero-anterior (PA) projection of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) was measured with and without a scrotal shield. Entrance surface dose, the dose received by the testicles and the dose area product (DAP) was used.

DAP measurements revealed the dose received by the phantom in the PA position is 12.6% lower than the AP (p≤0.009) with no statistically significant reduction in image quality (p≤0.483). The dose received by the testes in the PA projection in SIJ imaging is 93.1% lower than the AP projection when not using protection (p≤0.020) and 94.9% lower with protection (p≤0.019). The dose received by the testicles was not changed by the use of a scrotal shield in the AP position (p≤0.559); but was lowered by its use in the PA (p≤0.058).

Use of the PA projection in SIJ imaging significantly lowers, the dose received by the testes compared to the AP projection without significant loss of image quality.

Keywords: PA, Sacroiliac joints, Radiography, Dose reduction, Scrotal shield, Testicles

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PII: S1078-8174(10)00047-7

doi:10.1016/j.radi.2010.04.003

Radiography
Volume 16, Issue 4 , Pages 333-338, November 2010

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