What is the likely cause of a radiograph with very poor definition?

A radiograph with very poor definition often results from patient movement during the exposure. When a patient moves, even slightly, the image can become blurred, leading to a loss of sharpness and detail. This lack of clear definition makes it difficult to interpret the radiograph properly because the structures may not be distinctly visible.

While incorrect exposure settings, film fogging, and inadequate development time can contribute to poor image quality, they typically affect the overall darkness or contrast of the radiograph rather than its definition or sharpness. In particular, exposure issues might result in images that are too light or too dark, rather than lacking clarity due to movement. Film fogging causes an overall haziness, while insufficient development time can lead to underdeveloped film but would not inherently cause poor definition due to motion artifacts. Therefore, patient movement is the most direct and likely cause of significant loss of definition in a radiographic image.