Computerized axial tomography is still the method of diagnostic imaging that is fastest and performs the best; it can investigate a part of the body with multiple axial scans and provide high resolution images in a very short time. The computer that supports it offers also the ability to process all the acquired images in a single volume, allowing them to be re-assessed and analyzed with sections on different planes, or with 3D reconstructions.
It uses X-rays, similarly to traditional radiology, but by scanning on the axial plane it can eliminate the different overlapping structures (a limit in x-rays). It represents an excellent investigation technique for the study of bone structure, but it is also able to assess very well the varying density of the adjacent soft tissues, namely muscles, tendons, ligaments and adipose tissue.