Lateral lumbar spine X-ray positioning
One of the routine L-spine views. The patient lies on their side, the beam passes from side to side, straight on to the receptor, and the centring point is L3, on the mid-coronal line at the lower costal margin.
By the ScanFlo Editorial Team · Updated
In this section · X-ray positioning
- X-ray positioning guides
- Skull positioning
- Face & sinuses positioning
- Soft tissue neck positioning
- C-spine positioning
- Chest positioning
- Shoulder positioning
- Humerus positioning
- Elbow positioning
- Forearm positioning
- Wrist positioning
- Hand positioning
- T-spine positioning
- Abdomen positioning
- L-spine positioning
- Sacrum & SI joints positioning
- Pelvis positioning
- Hip positioning
- Femur positioning
- Knee positioning
- Tibia & fibula positioning
- Ankle positioning
- Foot positioning
Still being checked: a radiographer is reviewing this guide. If your department does it differently, follow your department.
Patient position
Lateral recumbent. Lay the patient on the left side, knees bent, a pad under the waist so the spine is horizontal. Where a fracture is possible, switch to the horizontal-beam lateral instead.
Centring & collimation
Central ray
lateralCentre: L3, on the mid-coronal line at the lower costal margin.
Beam: lateral, perpendicular to the receptor.
Collimate: T12 to the sacrum
Distance, receptor & grid
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SID | 100 cm | |
| Receptor | 18 × 43 cm | portrait |
| Placement | Table bucky | Grid in |
| Angulation | None | Perpendicular to the receptor |
Marker & breathing
- Marker: R or L marker on the side nearest the detector
- Breathing: Breathe out and hold.
Exposure by patient size
Treat these as a starting point. Your detector, your generator and the patient in front of you will all move the numbers.
| Patient size | kV | mAs (chart) | mAs (DR default) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 80 | 32 | 32 |
| S | 80 | 50 | 50 |
| M | 80 | 63 | 63 |
| L | 80 | 100 | 100 |
These start from a classic film-screen chart (80 kV, 100 mAs at 140 cm) and are adjusted for a digital detector at 100 cm. The DR column is what ScanFlo's console suggests; each step up or down changes the mAs by about a quarter.
Image quality checklist
- Posterior vertebral margins superimposed.
- Intervertebral spaces open; L5/S1 shown.
- The anatomical side marker is visible, correct and clear of the anatomy.
- Collimation borders are visible on all sides, no wider than the area requested.
Faults & how to fix them
| Fault | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Double posterior margins | Rotation | Square the shoulders and hips. |
| Spaces closed | Spine sagging | Pad the waist. |
Common questions
- Where do you centre for a lumbar spine lateral X-ray?
- The centring point is L3, on the mid-coronal line at the lower costal margin.
- What distance and beam angle does a lumbar spine lateral need?
- 100 cm from the tube to the receptor. The beam passes from side to side, straight on to the receptor.
- What size receptor, and do you need a grid?
- Use an 18 × 43 cm receptor, portrait, in the table bucky. A grid is needed.
- What should the patient do with their breathing?
- Ask them to breathe out and hold it while you expose.
- What goes wrong most often on a lumbar spine lateral?
- Double posterior margins. Usual cause: rotation. The fix: square the shoulders and hips.
Try it in ScanFlo: the ScanFlo XR X-ray Room, coming soon, lets you set up a lumbar spine lateral in a 3D room and score your positioning. See ScanFlo XR →
Written by the ScanFlo team from everyday radiographic practice.