How to get the best radiographs: simple tricks to optimise image quality

The rapid development of technology has transformed equine radiography. CR and DX are now present in most equine practices. A successful transition from film to digital radiography requires skilled radiographers who utilise the technology along with a quality control programme. While technique errors seen in analogue radiography routinely are corrected within the image processing software this software and/or acquisition hardware may actually introduce ‘digital’ artefacts related to Dynamic range, Look-Up Table (LUT), Window and Level, Noise, Interference, grid misalignment, etc. Understanding these new digital artifacts, as well as the importance of matching image processing with specific anatomy and using the correct processing algorithms, will allow radiographers to optimise their images and obtain the best results possible.