The anode heel effect becomes more pronounced as the target angle decreases.

The anode heel effect becomes more pronounced as the target angle decreases.

• A. Decreases heel effect
• B. Increases heel effect
• C. No effect
• D. Only affects exposure duration

Answer: (B)

The intensity difference across the X-ray beam is caused by the angled anode; photons toward the anode side pass through more of the anode material and are absorbed more, while photons toward the cathode side encounter less material and are less attenuated. When the target angle is decreased (the anode becomes more oblique), the variation in material thickness across the beam becomes larger, so the amount of absorption changes more from one edge of the field to the other. That makes the heel effect more pronounced. In practice, you compensate by placing the thicker part of the anatomy toward the cathode side or by adjusting exposure factors; the effect is about beam intensity distribution, not exposure duration.

The intensity difference across the X-ray beam is caused by the angled anode; photons toward the anode side pass through more of the anode material and are absorbed more, while photons toward the cathode side encounter less material and are less attenuated. When the target angle is decreased (the anode becomes more oblique), the variation in material thickness across the beam becomes larger, so the amount of absorption changes more from one edge of the field to the other. That makes the heel effect more pronounced. In practice, you compensate by placing the thicker part of the anatomy toward the cathode side or by adjusting exposure factors; the effect is about beam intensity distribution, not exposure duration.