BASIC SKULL POSITIONS

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR & ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION
forehead and nose
PA PRONE OR against film. OML
perpendicular to plane 10X12 PA: PERPENDICULAR.
PA + PA AXIAL PA ERECT OR of film. Nasion
CRANIUM LENGTHWISE CALDWELL: 15 DEG EXIT AT NASION
(CALDWELL) centered to cassette BUCKY/GRID CAUDAD
LAT DECUB patient supine, head
(X-TABLE) turned to IR
back of head against
AP ERECT OR
film. OML
AP + AP AXIAL perpendicular to plane 10X12 AP: PERPENDICULAR.
AP SUPINE OR ENTER AT
(REVERSE CRANIUM of film. LENGTHWISE REVERSE CALDWELL:
NASION
CALDWELL) BUCKY/GRID 15 DEG CEPHALAD
LAT DECUB supine, head away
(X-TABLE) from IR
center EAM to midline
ERECT OR
of film, Interpupillary
line perpendicular to 10X12 ENTER 2"
SEMI-PRONE OR PERPENDICULAR TO
LATERAL CRANIUM film. CROSSWISE SUPERIOR TO
IR
BUCKY/GRID EAM
DORSAL DECUB patient supine, film on
(X-TABLE LAT) L side

AP ERECT OR OML perpendicular to 10X12 2-2.5" ABOVE

AP AXIAL
CRANIUM film. Top of film at LENGTHWISE 30 DEG CAUDAD GLABELLA,
(TOWNE)
AP SUPINE cranial vertex. BUCKY/GRID THROUGH EAM

ENTER
10X12 THROUGH
rest head on vertex, PERPENDICULAR TO
SMV (BASAL) CRANIUM ERECT ONLY LENGTHWISE THROAT, 3/4"
IOML parallel to IR IOML
BUCKY/GRID ANTERIOR TO
EAM
 SINUSES (CONED)

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION
chin on IR, nose 1/2"
from film, head back
PARIETO-
so OML 37 deg from IR, EXIT AT
ACANTHIAL MAXILLARY PA ERECT
mentomeatal line ACANTHION
(WATERS)
approx. perpendicular
to IR
ENTER 1/2" - 1"
looks similar to lateral
POSTERIOR TO
LATERAL SPHENOID ERECT skull, but coned to 8X10
PERPENDICULAR TO OUTER
front half of cranium LENGTHWISE
IR CANTHUS
GRID/BUCKY
Tip of nose on the IR,
PA AXIAL FRONTAL &
PA ERECT extend neck so OML EXIT AT NASION
(CALDWELL) ETHMOID
forms 15 deg with CR
ENTER
similar to basal skull THROUGH
SPHENOID &
SMV (BASAL) ERECT ONLY but coned to front 2/3 THROAT, 3/4"
ETHMOID
head ANTERIOR TO
EAM

MANDIBLE

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION

Forehead and nose on 8X10

MANDIBULAR PA PRONE OR EXIT THE
PA IR, OML perpendicular CROSSWISE PERPENDICULAR
RAMI ERECT ACANTHION
to IR GRID/BUCKY

MANDIBLE CONT.
 extend head so
mandibular body is
RAMUS parallel to transverse
axis of IR. keep head
in true lateral position
extend head so ENTER
mandibular body is 8x10 SLIGHTLY
AXIOLATERAL RECUMBENT OR
BODY parallel to transverse LENGTHWISE 25 DEG CEPHALAD POSTERIOR TO
OBLIQUES: ERECT
axis of IR. rotate head GRID/BUCKY MANDIBULAR
30 deg toward the IR ANGLE
extend head so
mandibular body is
SYMPHYSIS parallel to transverse
axis of IR. rotate head
45 deg toward IR

NASAL BONES

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION
8X10
CROSSWISE, 2
SINGLE LATERAL ERECT OR interpupillary line PERPENDICULAR TO 1/2" DISTAL TO
NASAL BONES ON 1 VIEWS
L OR R SEMI-PRONE perpendicular to film IR NASION
No Grid
necessary!

ORBITS
 PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION

8X10 ENTER 1"

(3-point landing) chin,
PARIETO- LENGTHWISE SUPERIOR AND
cheek and nose against
ORBITAL OPTIC CANAL & PA ERECT OR OR CROSSWISE, PERPENDICULAR TO POSTERIOR TO
IR, orbit center of IR,
OBLIQUE FORAMEN PRONE COLLIMATE IR UPSIDE TEA,
midsagittal plane 53
(RHESE) 4" X 4" EXIT ORBIT
deg to film
Grid/Bucky CLOSEST TO IR

  alternate view: oribital-parietal oblique: done AP instead of PA

center IR to orbits,
MODIFIED
chin on IR so OML is 50 8x10
WATERS PERPENDICULAR TO EXIT THROUGH
EYE PA PRONE deg from IR, patient LENGTHWISE
(SHALLOW IR MIDORBITS
close eyes for Grid/Bucky
WATERS)
exposure

ZYGOMATIC ARCHES

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION

similar to basal skull, ENTER

rest head on vertex, 8X10 THROUGH
ZYGOMATIC UPRIGHT OR PERPENDICULAR TO
SMV IOML nearly parallel to CROSSWISE THROAT AT 1"
ARCHES SUPINE IOML
IR. Collimate to GRID/BUCKY POSTERIOR TO
arches OUTER CANTHI

ZYGOMATIC ARCHES CONT.

SINGLE ARCH ZYGOMATIC UPRIGHT OR rest head on vertex. 8X10 PERPENDICULAR TO ENTER
 IOML parallel to IR.
rotate midsagittal
ZYGOMATIC
plane 15 deg toward
ARCH AT 1"
side being examined. CROSSWISE
TANGENTIAL ARCH SUPINE IOML POSTERIOR TO
Tild top of head 15 GRID/BUCKY
OUTER
deg away from side
CANTHUS
being examined.
Center part to IR
OML perpendicular to
IR. NOTE: if
AP AXIAL patient cannot flex 8X10 ENTER
ZYGOMATIC UPRIGHT OR
(MODIFIED neck, IOML CROSSWISE 30 DEG CAUDAD GLABELLA 1"
ARCHES SUPINE
TOWNE) perpendicular to IR GRID/BUCKY ABOVE NASION
and angle 37 deg
caudad

TMJ'S

PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION

interpupillary line is ENTER 1/2"

TEMPORO- 8X10
AXIOLATERAL R LATERAL ERECT perpendicular to IR. ANTERIOR AND
MANDIBULAR CROSSWISE 25-30 DEG CAUDAD
AND L OR SUPINE Do both open and 2" SUPERIOR TO
JOINTS GRID/BUCKY
closed mouth. EAM
flex head so that OML
TEMPORO- is perpendicular to IR. 8x10
SUPINE OR ENTER 3" ABOVE
AP AXIAL MANDIBULAR Expose image with LENGTHWISE 35 DEG CAUDAD
UPRIGHT NASION
JOINTS open mouth and GRID/BUCKY
closed mouth.

SELLA TURCICA (CONED)

 PATIENT
NAME AREA POSITION & POSITION OF PART SIZE OF IR CR + ANGLE ENTER/EXIT
PROJECTION

SELLA forehead and nose

PA AXIAL PA ERECT OR EXIT THE
TURCICA, against IR, OML 10 DEG CEPHALAD
(CONED) PRONE GLABELLA
DORSUM perpendicular to IR 8X10
SELLAE, & LENGTHWISE
POSTERIOR interpupillary line GRID/BUCKY ENTER 3/4"
LATERAL CLINOID ERECT OR perpendicular to IR, PERPENDICULAR TO ANTERIOR AND
(CONED) PROCESSES RECUMBENT midsagittal plane IR 3/4" SUPERIOR
parellel to IR TO EAM