• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2012

In anteroposterior projection for cervical vertebra, it is general that the incidence angle of X-ray is $15^{\circ}$ to $20^{\circ}$ degrees to head in order to prevent overlap of mandible and occipital bone and to observe array of cervical interbody and shapes of joints. However, the angle is appropriate for foreigners that was determined by foreign literature review long ago, and there have been few researches of incidence angle for Koreans' body type. The purpose of in this study are to identify the incidence angle appropriate for Koreans and to present methodology. In order to measure the incidence angle, 1,044 patients who visited S Hospital located in Seosan were selected and measured of average length of cervical vertebra, OID, axis angle, and FID. The incidence angle was calculated from the applied formula by measuring average values per age groups and sex (see Formula 1 and 2). The average length of cervical vertebra was 6cm: the length was increased from teenagers to twenties but was decreased since thirties. The difference between males and females was around 1cm (p<.01). The OID was almost the same regardless of age groups and sex. As for axis angle, the slope was increased in teenagers and twenties, but was decreased since thirties. The difference between males and females was around 2 degrees (p<.01). The FID measurements were almost the same regardless of age groups and sex, and when the incidence angle was measured from these values, the teenagers were $15.9^{\circ}$, the twenties were $16.9^{\circ}$, the thirties were $16.6^{\circ}$, the forties were $16.2^{\circ}$, the fifties were $15.9^{\circ}$, and the sixties were $14.5^{\circ}$, indicating that the angle was increased from teenagers to the twenties but decreased since the thirties. While the angles of males and females were measured to be the same in the teenagers, the angle was different between males and females by $2^{\circ}$. When the incidence angle statistically analyzed with measurement of average length of cervical vertebra, OID, axis angle, and FID, all of them were shown to have correlations with the incidence angle (p<.01). Conclusively, it was shown that the incidence angle was measured differently from average length of cervical vertebra, OID, FID, and axis slope, as well as from age and sex. Therefore, it can be suggested that the anteroposterior radiation test for cervical vertebra should be conducted by different incidence angles based on age and sex. The data of this study may be used as reference in determining the incidence angle of cervical vertebra tests for the future.