Artificial bone erosions: detection with magnification radiography versus conventional high-resolution radiography.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic performance of direct magnification radiography with computed radiography versus that of conventional radiography in detection of artificial bone erosions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one paws from German shepherd dogs were embedded in paraffin and examined with x6 magnification radiography and conventional radiography before and after creation of artificial bone erosions. A microfocal x-ray unit with a focal spot of 20-130 microns was used for magnification radiography. All 210 images were analyzed by five radiologists, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Interobserver analysis in evaluation of anatomic structures was also performed. RESULTS: ROC analysis of pooled data from all readers showed a larger area under the ROC curve for magnification radiography (0.88) than for conventional radiography (0.72). Magnification radiography produced higher scores in interobserver analysis as well. CONCLUSION: Magnification radiography is superior to conventional radiography in detection of small bone erosions.