Diagnostic Testing for Serious Bone or Joint Injuries or Illnesses
Ultrasound, electrodiagnostic studies, X-rays, MRIs and more. Rely on us.
Diagnostic testing can be an important part of the process to determine the medical issue affecting your knee, hip or another body part. That’s why it’s important that you have an experienced medical professional performing these diagnostic tests.
At IMC Bone Doc, our board-certified, fellowship-trained New York orthopedic surgeons have more than 100 years of combined medical experience diagnosing and dealing with serious bone or joint injuries or illnesses. Our doctors know what to look for and know which treatment methods work best for addressing serious injuries or illnesses affecting musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses. That’s why all seven of our New York offices are each equipped with an MRI machine. Best of all, you can often receive all your medical care at one, convenient location.
What are common diagnostic tests for bone or joint injuries or illnesses?
We routinely perform a variety of diagnostic tests at Island Musculoskeletal Care. Some of the most common – and most effective – diagnostic tests we perform to identify different bone or joint injuries and illnesses include:
These are just a handful of the tests we often conduct to determine exactly what’s wrong. We can explain them to you and which ones make the most sense for you based on your specific medical condition.
Get the attention you deserve for your knee injury. Contact us.
Learn more about the different diagnostic tests available to you. Contact us and schedule an appointment. In many cases, our doctors can see you the same day. Contact us online or call us to make a doctor’s appointment at one of our seven office locations in the greater New York City and Long Island area. Our New York orthopedic surgeons can help you.
Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images that reveal the inside of someone’s body. Known as sonograms, these 3D (or even 4D) moving images are often used to diagnosis different medical conditions. In terms of bone or joint injuries or illnesses, ultrasound images can be used to determine the size, shape and consistency of soft tissue and any damage to the tissue. Ultrasound images can also reveal whether blood is flowing normally in the blood vessels inside the knee or another body part.
There are many reasons why our orthopedic surgeons use ultrasound images to identify injuries or abnormalities in a patient’s knee, hip or another bone or joint. Unlike radiation, ultrasound has no harmful effects. Ultrasound images are also often better at producing sharper images of soft tissue, including cartilage in the knee. Ultrasound equipment is also portable and can be used remotely if necessary.
What are electrodiagnostic studies?
Electromyography (EMG) studies (which are sometimes called Electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies) are often used to test the function of nerves and muscles. These tests can identify nerve damage and muscle disorders.
During an EMG test, small needles attached to electrodes are placed in a muscle. A recording device attached to the electrodes then measures the functionality of the muscles. An EMG test records how the muscle functions at rest and when the muscle contracts. EMG tests are often used if patients are experiencing muscle weakness, paralysis or muscle twitching.
A similar test is known as a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS). This test is used to determine if there’s nerve damage or injuries to the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which includes the spinal cord and extracranial nerves. This test is often used to identify carpal tunnel syndrome and neurological disorders.
X-rays (radiographs) remain one of the most widely used and reliable diagnostic tests for identifying problems with bones and surrounding soft tissue. Along with conventional X-rays, our medical office often uses the following types of advanced X-rays to diagnose medical issues.
- Digital radiography – Instead of using film to produce X-ray images, this method uses digital X-ray sensors. The detailed, digital X-ray imagines can then be stored, displayed or transferred on a computer monitor.
- Radiovisiography (RVG) – Dentists often use RVG to diagnose cavities or other medical issues in the teeth or gums. Along with producing high quality digital images, RVG X-ray images involve less radiation exposure to patients.
Magnetic resonance imaging scans (known as MRIs) are widely used to identify various diseases and medical conditions, including knee and shoulder injuries. An MRI imaging test uses radio waves and magnetic fields to create internal body images, including bones and soft tissue.
Often, MRIs are created along with X-rays or other scans when trying to definitively diagnose someone’s medical condition. Some of the most common issues often diagnosed using MRI scans include:
- Joint problems
- Tumors
- Spinal cord abnormalities
- Blood flow abnormalities
Many doctors prefer using MRIs since they are noninvasive and do not use radiation. MRI machines can also take high-quality images from almost any direction of any part of the body. MRIs are also especially good at creating images of soft tissue, such as cartilage in the knee, hip and other joints. That’s why we have an MRI machine in every one of our seven New York offices. We realize how important these images are when it comes to diagnosing what’s wrong.
