What is the best strategy to avoid beam hardening artifacts?

Selecting the appropriate scan field of view (SFOV) is crucial in avoiding beam hardening artifacts. Beam hardening occurs when lower-energy photons are absorbed more than higher-energy photons as X-rays pass through matter, typically leading to darker areas in images where the X-ray beam penetrates denser materials. By choosing an appropriate SFOV, the amount of tissue and bone being imaged can be optimized, which minimizes the likelihood of beam hardening effects. The SFOV creates a defined area for scanning that helps ensure that the beam interacts with a controlled volume of the body, balancing out the attenuation effects that lead to artifacts.

In contrast, while increasing the kilovoltage peak (kVp) may make the beam more penetrating and enhance image quality, it can paradoxically lead to severe beam hardening if not managed properly, as it increases the overall photon energy without properly accounting for density differences in tissue types. Using a grid can help reduce scatter radiation and improve image quality but does not specifically target beam hardening artifacts. Reducing exposure time can improve motion artifact but does not address the issue of beam hardening which is fundamentally a result of the X-rays interacting with varying density in tissues. Thus, managing the SFOV is the most effective strategy to minimize