Imaging Anatomy: Conventional Radiography

Abstract

When Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895, the first radiograph he took was of his wife’s hand (Röntgen, Sitzungsberichte der Physikalisch-medizinischen Gesellschaft zu Würzburg 9:132–41, 1895). Conventional radiography has played a key role in musculoskeletal imaging ever since and is generally the first imaging modality performed in most rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. It is by far the most commonly performed imaging technique for depicting the skeletal system. Conventional radiographs may be diagnostic on their own or may provide relevant information, often complementing other imaging techniques, such as ultrasound (Isenberg and Renton, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). A basic understanding of conventional radiography is therefore indispensable for rheumatologists and sonographers alike.