Are digital images good enough? A comparative study of conventional film-screen vs digital radiographs on printed images of total hip replacement.

• The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer variability and to find differences in diagnostic safety between digital and analog technique in diagnostic zones around hip prostheses. In 80 patients who had had a total hip replacement (THR) for more than 2 years, a conventional image and a digital image were taken. Gruen's model of seven distinct regions of interest was used for evaluations. Five experienced radiologists observed the seven regions and noted in a protocol the following distances: stem-cement; cement-bone; and stem-bone. All images were printed on hard copies and were read twice. Weighted kappa, kappa(w), analyses were used. The two most frequently loosening regions, stem-cement region 1 and cement-bone region 7, were closely analyzed. In region 1 the five observers had an agreement of 86.75-97.92% between analog and digital images in stem-cement, which is a varied kappa(w) 0.29-0.71. For cement-bone region 7 an agreement of 87.21-90.45% was found, which is a varied kappa(w) of 0.48-0.58. All the kappa values differ significantly from nil. The result shows that digital technique is as good as analog radiographs for diagnosing possible loosening of hip prostheses.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

comparative study

total hip replacement

digital radiographs

analog radiographs

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)