Image quality and artifacts of the cervical soft tissues and bones at 70 kVp and 120 kVp
| 70-kVp protocol (n = 20) | 120-kVp protocol (n = 20) | P Value* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reader 1 | Reader 2 | Reader 1 | Reader 2 | Reader 1 | Reader 2 | |
| Image quality: soft tissue | ||||||
| Overall | 3.92 ± 1.05 | 3.85 ± 1.07 | 4.05 ± 0.77 | 3.86 ± 0.85 | 0.211 | 0.606 |
| Upper third | 3.20 ± 1.11 | 3.15 ± 1.09 | 3.45 ± 0.76 | 3.45 ± 0.76 | 0.135 | 0.055 |
| Middle third | 4.95 ± 0.22 | 4.95 ± 0.22 | 4.60 ± 0.50 | 4.40 ± 0.50 | 0.015 | 0.001 |
| Lower third | 3.60 ± 0.60 | 3.45 ± 0.60 | 4.00 ± 0.46 | 3.85 ± 0.49 | 0.017 | 0.008 |
| Image quality: bone | ||||||
| Overall | 3.89 ± 1.18 | 3.51 ± 1.12 | 4.33 ± 0.70 | 4.19 ± 0.70 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Upper third | 4.35 ± 0.49 | 4.30 ± 0.47 | 4.42 ± 0.51 | 4.16 ± 0.68 | 0.578 | 0.414 |
| Middle third | 4.50 ± 0.51 | 4.45 ± 0.60 | 4.84 ± 0.38 | 4.68 ± 0.49 | 0.276 | 0.058 |
| Lower third | 2.75 ± 1.16 | 2.65 ± 1.16 | 3.74 ± 0.73 | 3.74 ± 0.65 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Artifacts | ||||||
| Soft tissue and spine | 3.95 ± 1.04 | 3.70 ± 1.11 | 4.20 ± 0.82 | 4.03 ± 0.97 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Upper third | 3.15 ± 1.04 | 3.05 ± 1.00 | 3.55 ± 0.90 | 3.25 ± 1.03 | 0.509 | 0.09 |
| Middle third | 5.00 ± 0.00 | 5.00 ± 0.00 | 4.95 ± 0.23 | 5.00 ± 0.00 | 0.33 | 0.33 |
| Lower third | 3.55 ± 0.69 | 3.35 ± 0.49 | 4.10 ± 0.45 | 3.85 ± 0.49 | 0.002 | 0.042 |
↵* P values comparing 70-kVp and 120-kVp scans in the same 20 patients.