CT - Positioning and regions

The scan volume should be kept to a minimum in CT diagnostics in order to fulfil radiation protection guidelines and to limit the number of images.

A precisely defined clinician’s order is a prerequisite. Four scan regions can be defined based on the clinical symptoms and the questions being asked:

• CT of the distal forearm portion (e.g. for intra-articular radius fractures)

• CT of the carpus (e.g. for scaphoid fractures)

• CT of the metacarpus (e.g. metacarpal base or head fractures)

• CT of the fingers (e.g. for intra-articular fractures without or with subluxation).

For positioning, the patient can either stand beside the gantry table or be positioned on it in the prone position with the arm elevated - if possible, with the arm parallel to the table. The patient's forearm and hand lie flat on the exam table. It is important to avoid radial or ulnar deviation of the hand in relation to the forearm as well as a hyperextension of the wrist. The hand positioned in this way is fixed to the table with a broad plaster.

Tags: Hand, CT, Computed tomography, Positioning, Regions