A fracture is an emergency that only specialist doctors can analyze. Not every general doctor or surgeon can read broken bone X ray results as needed. Hence, if you’re going to a hospital or clinic, we suggest you read the article to learn more about your X-ray findings. Why is it essential to have a radiograph test every time you have a checkup or consultation? Broken bones are either visible or nonvisible, which makes it complicated to diagnose fully. A visit to an orthopedic to check your fractured bone may help you understand your specific treatment.
Why Is An X Ray Important?
Do you ever wonder why your doctor or dentist always recommends having an X-ray scan before any further procedure? An X-ray is a diagnostic test done by a radiologist that helps physicians treat medical diseases. It uses electromagnetic energy to expose the body to ionizing radiation, which produces images of internal tissues, rib cages, mouth structure, bones, and other parts. X rays are one of the earliest innovations in diagnostics, which revolutionized the medical and dental industry. Without the help of an X-ray on your checkup, it may be hard to detect the difference of a bone with a tumor or an impacted wisdom tooth.
Benefits And Disadvantages Of X Rays
Benefits:
- Fast results and quick examination
- Beneficial for emergency diagnosis and treatment
- No side effects if done properly
Disadvantages:
- Several exposures, particularly for radiologists, can lead to cancer
- Pregnant women are not allowed to get X rays
- Patients may need more than one X ray for assessment
Which Doctor Should You Visit For Fractures?
An emergency room for treating fractures may consist of professional bone specialists such as an orthopedist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. However, you can also trust on-call doctors and surgeons for these types of bone illnesses. Most of the time, the physicians will first check the severity of your broken bone with an X-ray diagnosis. Afterwards, a specific orthopedic trauma specialist may proceed with surgery if needed. The good news about modern medicine is the availability of various specialists that can treat your broken bones. You may have to check online to prepare for your X ray, mainly if you are a pregnant woman.
Preparing For An X Ray Examination
Exposure to radiation may be an alarming thought for people who are first-time patients. Radiograph technologists are well aware of these concerns and will only expose you to a few minutes for broken bone X ray examination. There is no special preparation as you just need to undress the specific part that needs the X-ray. A patient should also remove any jewelry, eyeglasses, metal objects, removable dental appliance, and anything that may interfere with the X-ray images. On the other hand, pregnant women and children may have to receive their diagnosis using other means of examinations. Among which are ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy.
Tips When Reading Broken Bone X Ray Results
After taking an X-ray exam, you may wonder as a patient what the images mean. Several X rays may have different images that a person lacking radiographic imaging information is not aware of. Someone who wants to fully understand their broken bone x rays should check these tips that your orthopedic may also discuss with you. Don’t forget to get a follow-up diagnosis and consultation from your trusted health care specialist.
Understand The Location
The pain of the joints, hands, teeth, and several other body parts have different intensities. That explains why it is vital to check the location where the X rays indicate the broken bones or fracture. An area with soft tissues may have bone density that is easy to break. Some of these are the wrist, ankle, hip, collarbone (clavicle), arms, feet, and legs. The joint in bones are usually the main reason why these bones are susceptible to fracture.
Check The Bone Alignment
Bones may show an injury by the change of alignment where the break is. It is common for bones to become misaligned it the fracture was related to sports or falling. In many cases, your orthopedic will show you how to read the fracture in x rays by mentioning the degrees of the shift in alignment. Moreover, the x rays film itself will show the fracture if the alignment is severe or mild.
Severity Of The Fracture
Above all, checking the severity of the fracture is essential. Broken bones have categories: Open, Stable, Transverse, Oblique, Compressed, Or Comminuted. A doctor must tell you in detail what the treatment is applicable to the type of fracture. A patient should always consult a professional bone specialist to know how to recover from the severity of the fracture according to the X rays result.
What Are The Limitations In Radiograph Examinations?
A radiograph imaging examination is one of the essentials when visiting a doctor’s office or hospital. Yet, there are many limitations in X rays that people might not be fully aware of. One of which is that it can’t diagnose muscles, tendons, or joints. A more advanced imaging machine such as a CT (Computed Tomography) or MRI, can detect spine injuries and complicated fractures. Also, radiographs should always be done in moderation as exposure to constant radiation is still the biggest concern of many patients. You may have to be careful in preventing yourself from accidents and injuries to eliminate the possibility of the risk factors.
Preventing Fractures And Injuries
Radiology one of the best ways to determine if your fracture or broken bones are severe. Yet, the financial costs of paying for your hospital bills can be huge, particularly if you need surgery. However, you may want to avoid getting these fractures by looking at some of our suggestions below:
- Wear protective headgear and equipment
- Strengthen your muscles and bones by exercise
- Eat a right diet plan
- Avoid hazardous places
- Don’t play extreme sports as an amateur
- Use the proper technique in lifting items
- Ask your physical therapist about improving your system
