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Boney structures show up as white areas on the x-ray image. That's because bone is a
good absorber of the x-ray beam. Other tissues within the chest (soft tissue, fat, air)
will appear as shades of gray to black on the film.
Knowing the boney parts making up the chest helps you to view the structures housed within
the boney thorax.
Structures making up the boney thorax include:
One Sternum,
Twelve Pairs of Ribs,
Twelve Thoracic Vertebra.
Sometimes being able to tell if the Anterior (front) or Posterior
(back) portion of a rib is fractured can be difficult. You view Posterior
Ribs from the spine angled downward and lateral, while Anterior
ribs are seen from the lateral wall of the chest angled downward and medial.
Also visible on a chest film are:
Two Clavicles,
Two Scapulas
and the Proximal Ends of the Right And Left Humerus
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Surface or Topographic landmarks aid in approximating the location of structures within
the chest.
Manubrial
Notch
2 - 3rd Thoracic Vertebra
Sternal Angle
4 - 5th Thoracic Vertebra
Zyphoid Tip
10th Thoracic Vertebra |
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