MH Imaging Arthrogram Services
An arthrogram is a type of medical imaging test that uses a contrast dye to highlight the soft tissues inside a joint. The dye is injected into the joint, and then MRI or CT scans are taken. This allows doctors to see the joint in more detail than they would be able to with regular X-rays or MRI scans.
Arthrograms are used to diagnose a variety of joint problems, including:
- Cartilage tears: Cartilage is the smooth, slippery tissue that cushions the bones in a joint. Cartilage tears can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joint.
- Ligament tears: Ligaments are the tissues that connect bones to each other. Ligament tears can also cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joint.
- Meniscus tears: The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion between the bones in the knee joint. Meniscus tears can also cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee joint.
Arthrograms are a safe and effective procedure.
What is an Arthrogram?
An Arthrogram is a test done using MRI or CT scans and a contrast material injected into a joint to see the soft tissues of the specific joint being examined. The soft tissues can be tendons, ligaments, muscles, or cartilage in the joint, and they cannot be viewed on a plain X-ray.
How it works
An Arthrogram is used to find the cause of joint pain or swelling. A patient will sit or lie down under an X-ray machine and have a contrast material injected into the skin over the joint with a needle. A patient should remain very still when the X-ray images are being taken unless the doctor specifies otherwise. The X-rays must be taken quickly before the contrast material spreads to other tissues around the examined joint. An Arthrogram usually lasts between a half hour and an hour. After the contrast is confirmed to be in the correct area, a patient will have images taken by an MRI or CT.
