CT - Planes and parameters

Standardized slice reconstructions from the three-dimensional CT data set are important for image interpretation and reproducibility in follow-up studies.

This procedure is recommended for calculating the three orthogonally aligned slice blocks:

• Begin with axial slices aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the forearm.
• For the coronal slices, the carpus is located in axial images at the height of the scaphoid and pisiform. The coronal plane is planned parallel to their palmar sides.
• The sagittal slices are angulated perpendicular to the coronal plane.

A high-resolution, bone edge-accentuating reconstruction kernel must be used for displaying the bone structure.

Thin slices are reconstructed to visualize small bone structures on the hand skeleton and to detect non-displaced fractures. The slice thickness vary between 2.0 mm (axial plane on the forearm) and 0.8 mm (reconstructions of the scaphoid). An overlap of the reconstructed images (increment of 70 %) is recommended to minimize partial-volume effects and to potentially enable secondary reconstructions.

Tags: Hand, Computed tomography, Hand CT, Planes, Parameters