What is a bone radiographic examination?
What information can a physician obtain from an x-ray?
What preparation is there for a bone radiograph?
What will the equipment used for my exam look like?
How is a bone radiographic exam performed?
What effect will the exam have on me during and following the procedure?
When will the results of my exam be available to me?
What are the diagnostic uses of a bone radiographic study?

What is a Bone Radiographic Examination?
Radiography, the use of x-rays to image body parts, has been a diagnostic tool for over 100 years. X-rays are energy waves similar to light yet have enough energy to penetrate the body. As x-rays pass through the body, some are absorbed and cast a white shadow on the imaging plates. Since bone is much denser than muscle or fat, it always casts a white shadow whereas muscle and fat cast different degrees of grey shadows. All of this data comprises the bone x-ray exam.

All bones in the body can be imaged using x-ray technology with the most common being the hand, wrist, elbow, arm, leg, ankle, knee, skull, ribs, pelvis and spine.

What information can a physician obtain from an x-ray?
Skeletal (bone) radiography are used to:

diagnose broken bones
diagnose joint misalignment
diagnose joint disease (arthritis)
aid in the detection of bone cancer
guide the surgeon during orthopedic surgery

What preparation is there for a Bone (skeletal) radiograph?
There is usually no special preparation for skeletal radiographic exams.

Some imaging tests are not recommended during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. If you are pregnant or think you could be pregnant, please notify your physician, the Imaging Department receptionist and the technologist performing your exam prior to the start of the exam.

Since many objects show up on x-ray images, you will be asked to remove jewelry, some articles of clothing and possibly any removable prosthetic devices. Avoid wearing clothing with buttons, snaps/hooks or metal zippers, if possible.

What will the equipment used for my exam look like?
The equipment is comprised of a motorized table, a fluoroscope, x-ray tube and video monitor. The table will be hard and flat, so anticipate some discomfort, especially if you have difficulty lying on hard surfaces. The table has the capability of positioning you in either the upright (standing) position or lying you horizontally. All modern x-ray equipment stores images in a large computer data base, so x-ray film is no longer used.

How is the Bone (skeletal) radiographic exam performed?
The radiologic technologist is a highly trained professional certified by the American Radiologic Technologist, a professional organization recognized by the American College of Radiology. The technologist will position you for the exam based on the specific types of images required to assist the Radiologist, a medical physician certified by either the American College of Radiology or the Osteopathic Board of Radiology. Some exams will require you to lie on the x-ray table while others will be obtained while you either sit on a stool adjacent to the table or stand against an upright x-ray machine. Modern x-ray machines are capable of very fast exposures, but you can help improve the quality of the exam by holding very still during the actual exposure. The technologist will give you instructions about movement during the procedure.

Radiographic images (x-ray images) are recorded on computer interpreted digitized plates that are stored in large data storage devices. This new technology allows many physicians to conference about your study and provides a mechanism by which a radiologist can read your radiographs even when they are not at the hospital.

What effect will the exam have on me during and following the procedure?
There will not be any lasting effect on you following the radiographic examination.

When will the results of my exam be available to me?
Your radiographic exam will be interpreted by a board certified radiologist (a physician with specialty training reading x-rays). The results of the exam will be available to your physician within 24 hours of the exam. Your family physician will notify with the results.

∙ You will not receive enough radiation from the study to be harmful.

∙ You will not become radioactive from this exam.

∙ Women should always notify the technologist if she feels she could be pregnant.

∙ Bone x-rays are a very efficient means of determining if a bone is fractured

∙ X-ray equipment (basic still image) is relatively inexpensive, so costs associated are