Toes Lateral
Position the Patient
- Seated or supine
- Rotate foot as needed to place affected toe in true lateral
- Use tape or gauze to separate toes if needed
Words That Work
“Let your foot relax. I’m going to gently turn it so we see the affected toe in profile—like taking a side-view picture. I may move the neighboring toes out of the way so they don’t overlap. Hold still, and tell me if anything hurts.”
Lateral toes positioning
Set Up the Shot
- Center here
- Central ray
- IP joint (1st toe); PIP joint (2nd–5th toes)
- Include this in the field
- Collimation
- Entire toe and distal metatarsal
- Set the distance
- SID
- 40"
- Check the technique
- Technique
- 55-60 kVp
- Follow facility protocols
Common Pitfalls
- •Not true lateral (toenail not in profile)
- •Adjacent toe overlap
- •Distal metatarsal cut off
Evaluate the Image
What should be visible?
- Phalanges in true lateral
- Joint spaces
- Distal metatarsal
Does the image pass?
- ✓True lateral (toenail in profile)
- ✓Entire toe included
- ✓Joint spaces open