A Blog for Healthcare Consumers

X-rays are frequently used to evalaute the bones of the knee (you can read more about X-rays here). If you've injured your knee or have chronic knee pain, your doctor will probably order an X-ray.  On your doctor's order for the X-ray you might see:

"r/o fracture" - a fracture is a break in the bone.

"r/o DJD"- DJD short for degnerative joint disease. Your doctor is looking for joint narrowing, bone spurs and fluid on the knee.

(FYI - "r/o" is short for "rule out")

An X-ray of the knee will evaluate:

Bones

A knee X-ray will include parts of the lower femur, upper tibia, upper fibula and the patella. The knee X-ray can detect bone fractures, cysts, tumors, infection and dislocations. An X-ray can also determine the extent of arthritis and assist in pre-operative planning. X-rays are frequently done to evaluate knee replacement hardware as well.

Soft Tissues

This refers to the muscles and tissues around your knee. A knee X-ray scan will show parts of the thigh muscles and muscles of the upper calf area. The X-ray can see foreign bodies (for example metal) that are in the skin or large tumors and joint effusions.

Your Knee X-ray

A knee X-ray generally takes about 5 to 10 minutes or so to complete. If you are going for one, wear loose comfortable pants or shorts. If you're uninsured expect to pay between $75-$250 for an x-ray. Prices vary depending on location and number of images taken.

Have you had a Knee Xray? What was it like? Please leave your comments below.