X-rays

X-rays of the hand, wrist, arm, foot, ankle, knee, or leg help determine whether a bone has been fractured or injured or damaged by conditions such as an infection, arthritis, or other disease.

Other reasons for conventional X-rays on your feet include:

• Evaluate changes in the bones caused by such things as an infection, arthritis, or other bone disease.
• Help evaluate whether a child’s bones are growing normally.
• Locate foreign objects (such as pieces of glass or metal) in a wound.
• To determine whether bones are properly set after treating a fracture and placing a cast on an arm or leg.

Pregnant women, especially those in their first trimester, are advised against having a CT exam or any X-ray examination. Extremity X-rays usually takes only five to 10 minutes.

While extremity X-rays do a good job showing bone fractures or dislocations, they are not very accurate when it comes to showing affected cartilage, tendons, or ligaments. A MRI or CT scan may be prescribed.