General information
Other names
| Where It's Done | Who Does It | How Long It Takes | Discomfort/Pain |
| Hospital, doctor's office, or commercial X-ray facility. | Radiologist or X-ray technician. | 5-10 minutes. | You may have to assume uncomfortable positions, such as flexing and extending your neck for skull X-rays. |
| Results Ready When | Special Equipment | Risks/Complications | Average Cost |
| Immediately. | X-ray machine (portable or stationary). | Risks associated with exposure to radiation, particularly during pregnancy. | $-$$ |
Plain X-rays of bones, scoliosis series (if spine curvature is evaluated), and skeletal survey.
Purpose- To detect bone fractures.
- To detect bone cancer and cancer metastases to the bone.
- To diagnose infectious diseases of the bones.
- To diagnose different types of arthritis.
- To determine bone age in children.
- To evaluate intervertebral disc spaces in the lower spine.
- To evaluate abnormal curvature of the spine or other deformities.
- To detect congenital skull deformities.
- To detect injuries in a battered child.
X-rays (electromagnetic energy emitted by an X-ray tube) are absorbed by the body tissue. When the tissue is exposed to special photographic film, various types of tissue show up as shadows, as dark gray areas, or as white opaque areas.
Preparation- You remove all clothing and jewelry and don a hospital gown.
- For skull X-rays, you will have to remove hairpins, glass eyes, contact lenses, glasses, and dentures.
- The technician places you against the X-ray machine in a position dependent on which bones are to be examined. For example, for an X-ray of the upper spine in the absence of injury, you will stand with your side to the X-ray machine while dropping your shoulders as much as possible. You may have to hold heavy weights in your arms to help you lower the shoulders.
- You must remain perfectly still during the X-ray picture, which takes only a few seconds.
- The X-ray picture may be taken from different angles or of different parts of your skeleton. The number of views depends on the purpose of the test. A single X-ray is sufficient to determine bone age.
- You get dressed and are free to leave.
- The film is processed in a developing machine and X-ray pictures are produced.
- Metal jewelry.
- Movement during the test.
- The X-ray films are analyzed for abnormalities. In arthritis, the loss of cartilage produces a narrowed space between bones. The pattern of joint space narrowing can help distinguish among types of arthritis. Bone spurs and erosions (characteristic indentations of the bone) also help diagnose arthritis.
- Infectious diseases, such as osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, produce bone changes that appear on X-rays within several weeks, but a bone scan is a better test for picking up early signs of bone and joint infection.
- The age of the bones, which can be determined by comparing an X-ray of the hand and wrist with a standard X-ray from a child of the same age and gender, helps assess the physical development of the child. A bone that is too mature for a child's age may signal precocious puberty, while immature bones may be due to delayed development. The doctor can also assess the mineral content of the child's bones and scars resulting from interrupted growth that may have been caused by past illnesses or other mishaps.
- It's simple, quick, and noninvasive.
- It's also inexpensive and widely available.
- It involves exposure to radiation (although minimal).
- It's less sensitive than a bone scan in detecting bone destruction.
