Equipment
Two main types of fluoroscopic equipment are used: fixed and mobile. A fixed or permanently installed fluoroscopic system typically uses a radiolucent patient examination table with an undertable-mounted tube and an imaging detector mounted over the table. Fixed systems are used in designated rooms for studies such as barium studies, catheterization of blood vessels, and endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract.
A C-arm is typically a mobile fluoroscopic unit with the x-ray source at one end and the image detector at the other end. The C-arm unit allows for greater operator flexibility, and the equipment can be moved to wherever the fluoroscopic examination is needed. A C-arm is commonly used in operating rooms where orthopedic procedures are performed to visualize bones or implants.
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C-arm being used in for an orthopedic procedure on calcaneus in a vertical orientation, with the image intensifier end above and the x-ray tube end under the table.
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C-arm being used in a horizontal orientation during intramedullary nail fixation of a tibial fracture for a cross-table lateral projection.
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Illustration to show optimal options for vertical positioning of the C-arm.
