DANB Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) Practice Exam

An insufficient amount of vertical angulation will produce an image that appears:

1. Foreshortened

2. Elongated

3. Overlapped

4. Herringboned

The correct answer is: Elongated

When there is an insufficient amount of vertical angulation during radiographic imaging, the resulting image tends to appear elongated. This occurs because the X-ray beam is not directed adequately towards the area of interest, leading to an inaccurate representation of the anatomical structures. The anatomical parts are projected in a manner that stretches them vertically, creating an effect where the image looks longer than it should. In contrast, when vertical angulation is too steep, it can lead to foreshortening, where the structures appear compressed or shorter. Other options like overlapped images typically occur due to improper horizontal angulation, where structures on the same plane overlap each other. The herringbone pattern is a sign of film placement errors or incorrect processing, not directly related to vertical angulation. Understanding the impact of vertical angulation is crucial for producing radiographs that accurately depict anatomical details.