Dose reduction in radiography of the spine in scoliosis

Measurements of skin doses during radiography in scoliosis have been performed with a.p. and p.a. direction of the beam. In order to keep the doses to the patients low, high kV, a film-focus distance of at least 3 m, a fast screen-film combination, lead shielding, a collimator with rotating compensating filter, and a grid of the moving anti-scatter type are recommended. By using the p.a. direction the dose to the breast is reduced by a factor in the range of 88 to 97 per cent. Further dose reduction might be achieved by removal of the anti-scatter grid and use of the air gap technique. Relinquishment of the radiographic principle of bringing the object to be examined as near the film as possible did not reduce the diagnostic information.