Getting anX-rayof the knee is often a first step in diagnosing a knee condition. In many cases, knee X-rays can help find the cause of pain, tenderness, or swelling. X-rays are best at showing bone, but can also reveal soft tissue changes and signs of arthritis.
The results can help determine a treatment for your knee or may lead to additional testing.
This article explores why knee X-rays are done and what the images can show.
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Why Knee X-Rays Are Done
As part of the standard evaluation of your knee, your healthcare provider will discuss the nature of the problem with you, examine your knee, and possibly obtain X-rays of the knee joint.
Knee X-rays give useful information about knee alignment, bone quality, and the extent of anydegenerative (arthritic) changeswithin the knee.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)is a useful test as well. However, doing an MRI alone won’t allow a healthcare provider to get a complete understanding of most knee problems that cause pain.
Bilateral X-Rays
Sometimes your healthcare provider may want to have an X-ray done on both knees. This is called abilateralX-ray and is especially common if your healthcare provider is checking for signs of arthritis.
What’s on a Knee X-Ray
Your healthcare provider will look for the following on your knee X-rays:
A Word From Verywell
An X-ray is a very useful test and helps provide information your healthcare provider can use to make a diagnosis of your knee pain. While this is not as new of a test as an MRI, in some cases it’s still a much more useful one and it’s less costly too.
That said, for some conditions, the next step in making a diagnosis after an X-ray is complete is to do an MRI.
Knee MRI Images and What They Mean
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.X-ray may be best screening tool for diagnosing knee pain.Arthritis Foundation.X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests for knee diagnosis.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.X-ray may be best screening tool for diagnosing knee pain.Arthritis Foundation.X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests for knee diagnosis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health Publishing.X-ray may be best screening tool for diagnosing knee pain.Arthritis Foundation.X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests for knee diagnosis.
Harvard Health Publishing.X-ray may be best screening tool for diagnosing knee pain.
Arthritis Foundation.X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests for knee diagnosis.
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