Why would you need an X-Ray?

If we suspect you have a bone-related injury, we would instruct you to have an X-ray.

An X-Ray is particularly good for picking up disruptions in the alignment of the cortex of the bone, such as is found with fractures: a fracture is when the bony contour (cortex) or internal architecture (trabecular system) is disrupted.  This doesn’t always have to be a large disruption; it can be a small break, stress fracture or impaction fracture.  However, bone bruising or oedema does not show up well on an X-ray, so an MRI scan may be utilised in these cases to gain better insight into why there is a problem in the area.

X-rays for Sports injuries

X-rays are often used in the early diagnosis and management of sports injuries, where we feel the problem is likely to be a bony structure.  When assessing your sports injury, your therapist will initially go through a very thorough history as this often gives us big clues as to which tissue has been disrupted during the injury.

Sports injuries often occur at high velocity or high impact, resulting in significant force being transmitted into the body. Bones are not designed to absorb such high levels of force, especially at velocity, thus they can be very prone to damage in sports.

A common sports injury is a stress fracture, which often result from a recurring low velocity force.  Stress fractures can easily be picked up on an X-ray and thus that would be our first point of referral if we suspect this frustrating injury.

For more information please visit out conditions which we treat page.

What will an X-ray show?

Only bone, contrast (if used) and some very dense body tissues and fluids can be seen on an X-ray. This is largely why we would not use X-rays to look for soft tissue lesions, as they will simply not show up. The main object is to highlight bone injury, particularly fractures, when using an X-ray for diagnosis.

Our diagnostic team will always explain the procedure in more detail to you.  You will come back with images and a diagnosis, which will help concrete our treatment plan for you going forwards.

How do I book for an X-ray?

When your therapist needs an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis, they may liaise with your Athlete Services manager to arrange one. If you feel you need an X-ray outside of a consultative arena, we will arrange for a remote consultation to take place to ensure an X-ray is a necessary diagnostic step.

Should our therapists need more assistance with the diagnosis, we work alongside a team of specialists who can also assess the requirements for an X-ray. This can be arranged for you as soon as possible.

You can also use the link below to contact the team if you feel an X-Ray is needed for your condition.