[The use of a digital x-ray diagnostic unit in the obstetrical clinic]

The paper gives account of advantages and disadvantages of ultrasonic and conventional X-ray pelvimetries for diagnosing the contracted pelvis in obstetrics. It also describes a basically new X-ray pelvimetry by using a digital X-ray unit one of whose basic advantages is a low maternal and fetal load (one-twentieth as high as routine X-ray pelvimetry). X-ray pelvimetry with the use of the digital X-ray unit was performed in 366 pregnant and parturient women, of them 188 showed various forms of the anatomically contracted pelvis. Out of them 47% had deliveries by cesarean operation. The potentialities of this unit make it possible to predict both the biomechanism of labor and its outcome.