Relevance of radiographic resolution capacity

Resolution capacity is traditionally evaluated by radiography of metal objects (lead bar grids or fine slits). These objects yield high image contrast. Resolution, then, is limited by the sideways spread of information as expressed by the MTF. However, biologic objects of fine dimensions give rise to much less image contrast than the test objects of metal. Since the amplitude of the signals thus becomes reduced the signal/noise ratio in fact limits resolution capacity much more effectively than does the sideways spread of information. Thus, the MTF expresses a property of the radiographic system which appears only rarely to affect the information capacity of clinical radiographic images.