TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 12. A Primer of "Reading" an Image A1 - Malone, Terry R. A1 - Hazle, Charles A1 - Grey, Michael L. PY - 2008 T2 - Imaging in Rehabilitation AB - One of the challenges for becoming comfortable with radiology is the expected or norm for reading and, thus, interpreting a "plain film," whether hard copy or digital. Importantly, in this text we have used the term radiograph to describe what has traditionally been referred to as a plain film (single plane—plain radiographic image)—today this is more typically a digital form but representing the previous image. By convention, the film is placed on a view box or the digital image is oriented on the monitor as if the person were in the anatomic position (facing toward the reader). This allows the reader to have a relatively constant orientation providing an expected presentation and enhancing the ability to perceive the alteration from the norm to be more obvious. Shadows, image magnifications/distortions (size/shape: elongation or foreshortening related to beam orientation and position of bone and distances to film), and overlapping structures thus are seen in their expected positions and the observer is able to concentrate on seeing the abnormal. SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/18 UR - accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=5940229 ER -