Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (551 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Production of a radiographic image of a small or very thin object on fine-grained photographic film under conditions which permit subsequent microscopic examination or enlargement of the radiograph at linear magnifications of up to several hundred and with a resolution approaching the resolving power of the photographic emulsion (about 1000 lines per millimeter).
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Microradiographies.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Radiography
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 2,856 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Microradiography” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 40 of them (1.4%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 2,123 records.
Reviews account for 66 records (2.3%) and meta-analyses for 1. Randomized controlled trials number 91 (3.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 2,123 |
| 2000-2009 | 449 |
| 2010-2019 | 244 |
| 2020 onward | 40 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 66 | 2.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 1 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 91 | 3.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Microradiography"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in diagnostics and medical technology
A test or device is judged by how well it detects a condition, how often it gives false alarms or misses cases, and whether using it improves outcomes for people. Accuracy depends on who is tested and how common the condition is, so a test that performs well in a specialist hospital can perform differently in the community. Check the reference standard, the population studied, the sensitivity and specificity and whether results were confirmed in a separate group.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visualization of membrane protein crystals in lipid cubic phase using X-ray imaging | 2013 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 19 | cc by PMID 23793151 · DOI · PMC3689528 |
| Correlation between ICDAS and histology: Differences between stereomicroscopy and microradiography with contrast solution as histological techniques | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 13 | cc by PMID 28841688 · DOI · PMC5571903 |
| Quantitative X-ray microradiography for high-throughput phenotyping of osteoarthritis in mice | 2014 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 12 | cc by PMID 24792211 · DOI · PMC4192136 |
Visualization of membrane protein crystals in lipid cubic phase using X-ray imaging [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The focus in macromolecular crystallography is moving towards even more challenging target proteins that often crystallize on much smaller scales and are frequently mounted in opaque or highly refractive materials.
- Closing excerpt
- It is demonstrated that the X-ray dose required for a full tomography measurement is similar to that for a diffraction grid-scan, but for sample location and shape estimation alone just a few radiographic projections may be required.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (156 words)
The focus in macromolecular crystallography is moving towards even more challenging target proteins that often crystallize on much smaller scales and are frequently mounted in opaque or highly refractive materials. It is therefore essential that X-ray beamline technology develops in parallel to accommodate such difficult samples. In this paper, the use of X-ray microradiography and microtomography is reported as a tool for crystal visualization, location and characterization on the macromolecular crystallography beamlines at the Diamond Light Source. The technique is particularly useful for microcrystals and for crystals mounted in opaque materials such as lipid cubic phase. X-ray diffraction raster scanning can be used in combination with radiography to allow informed decision-making at the beamline prior to diffraction data collection. It is demonstrated that the X-ray dose required for a full tomography measurement is similar to that for a diffraction grid-scan, but for sample location and shape estimation alone just a few radiographic projections may be required.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 23793151 · DOI · PMC3689528
Correlation between ICDAS and histology: Differences between stereomicroscopy and microradiography with contrast solution as histological techniques [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Detection of occlusal caries with visual examination using ICDAS correlates strongly with histology under stereomicroscopy (SM), but dentin aspects under SM are ambiguous regarding mineral content.
- Closing excerpt
- In conclusion, SM overestimated the correlation between ICDAS and lesion depth, and underestimated the number of occlusal surfaces with ICDAS cut-off 1-2 and deep dentin demineralization.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (211 words)
Detection of occlusal caries with visual examination using ICDAS correlates strongly with histology under stereomicroscopy (SM), but dentin aspects under SM are ambiguous regarding mineral content. Thus, our aim was to test two null hypotheses: SM and microradiography result in similar correlations between ICDAS and histology; SM and microradiography result in similar positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of ICDAS cut-off 1-2 (scores 0-2 as sound) with histological threshold D3 (demineralization in the inner third of dentin). Occlusal surfaces of extracted permanent teeth (n = 115) were scored using ICDAS. Undemineralized ground sections were histologically scored using both SM without contrast solution and microradiography after immersion in Thoulet's solution 1.47 for 24 h (MRC). Correlation between ICDAS and histology differed from SM (0.782) to MRC (0.511) (p = 0.0002), with a large effect size "q" of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.638/0.338). For ICDAS cut-off 1-2 and D3, PPV from MRC (0.56) was higher than that from SM (0.28) (p< 0.00001; effect size h = 0.81), and NPV from MRC (0.72) was lower than that from SM (1,00) (p < 0.00001; effect size h = 1.58). In conclusion, SM overestimated the correlation between ICDAS and lesion depth, and underestimated the number of occlusal surfaces with ICDAS cut-off 1-2 and deep dentin demineralization.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28841688 · DOI · PMC5571903
Quantitative X-ray microradiography for high-throughput phenotyping of osteoarthritis in mice [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveTo investigate and validate digital X-ray microradiography as a novel, high-throughput and cost-effective screening approach to identify abnormal joint phenotypes in mice.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionQuantitation of subchondral BMC by digital X-ray microradiography is a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method to identify abnormal joint phenotypes in mice of both genders at several ages.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (184 words)
ObjectiveTo investigate and validate digital X-ray microradiography as a novel, high-throughput and cost-effective screening approach to identify abnormal joint phenotypes in mice.MethodDigital X-ray microradiography was used to quantify the subchondral bone mineral content (BMC) in the medial tibial plateau. Accuracy and reproducibility of the method were determined in 22 samples from C57BL/6(B6Brd;B6Dnk;B6N-Tyr(c-Brd)) wild-type mice. The method was then validated in wild-type mice that had undergone surgical destabilisation of medial meniscus (DMM) and in a genetically modified mouse strain with an established increase in trabecular bone mass.ResultsThe measurement of subchondral BMC by digital X-ray microradiography had a coefficient of variation of 3.6%. Digital X-ray microradiography was able to demonstrate significantly increased subchondral BMC in the medial tibial plateau of male mice 4 and 8 weeks after DMM surgery and in female mice 8 weeks after surgery. Furthermore, digital X-ray microradiography also detected the increase in subchondral BMC in a genetically modified mouse strain with high trabecular bone mass.ConclusionQuantitation of subchondral BMC by digital X-ray microradiography is a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method to identify abnormal joint phenotypes in mice of both genders at several ages.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 24792211 · DOI · PMC4192136
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The degree of mineralization of bone tissue measured by computerized quantitative contact microradiography [4]
- Research article Micro-computed tomography-current status and developments [5]
- Research article Current status of developments and applications of micro-CT [6]
- Research article Micro- and nano-CT for the study of bone ultrastructure [7]
- Research article Current diagnostic techniques in the evaluation of bone architecture [8]
- Research article Small animal imaging facility: new perspectives for the radiologist [9]
References
- Warren AJ, Armour W, Axford D, Basham M, Connolley T, Hall DR, et al.. Visualization of membrane protein crystals in lipid cubic phase using X-ray imaging. . 2013. PMID 23793151 · DOI · PMC3689528
- Campos SAG, Vieira MLO, de Sousa FB. Correlation between ICDAS and histology: Differences between stereomicroscopy and microradiography with contrast solution as histological techniques. . 2017. PMID 28841688 · DOI · PMC5571903
- Waung JA, Maynard SA, Gopal S, Gogakos A, Logan JG, Williams GR, et al.. Quantitative X-ray microradiography for high-throughput phenotyping of osteoarthritis in mice. . 2014. PMID 24792211 · DOI · PMC4192136
- Boivin G, Meunier PJ. The degree of mineralization of bone tissue measured by computerized quantitative contact microradiography. Calcif Tissue Int. 2002. PMID 12019458 · DOI
- Ritman EL. Micro-computed tomography-current status and developments. Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2004. PMID 15255767 · DOI
- Ritman EL. Current status of developments and applications of micro-CT. Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2011. PMID 21756145 · DOI
- Peyrin F, Dong P, Pacureanu A, Langer M. Micro- and nano-CT for the study of bone ultrastructure. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2014. PMID 25292366 · DOI
- Link TM, Majumdar S. Current diagnostic techniques in the evaluation of bone architecture. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2004. PMID 16036082 · DOI
- Grassi R, Cavaliere C, Cozzolino S, Mansi L, Cirillo S, Tedeschi G, et al.. Small animal imaging facility: new perspectives for the radiologist. Radiol Med. 2009. PMID 19082783 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.