Improved assessment of lower extremity alignment using new roentgenographic techniques.

Accurate assessment of total hip and knee alignment requires a single-exposure weight-bearing roentgenogram of the involved limb. The problem with single-exposure technique is that a good exposure of the hip overexposes the lower leg. This problem is solved by using leaded acrylic wedges, which, when placed in front of the X-ray tube (collimator), block excessive radiation to the lower limb and create an evenly exposed film of the entire lower extremity. The development of these collimator wedge filters and the advent of newer fast-speed film and screens have reduced the amount of radiation absorbed by the patient by eight times or more. Guided by a chart to interchange and choose between film/screen combinations, the method and technique provides the surgeon with an exact alignment of the limb and joints for all kinds of operations.