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Last updated Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Why might an arthritis patient get an X-ray?
X-rays enable your doctor to monitor any possible bone damage.
It may take years for bone damage to show up on X-rays, so abnormalities may not always be present on the first set of X-rays. Ankylosing spondylitis is one exception, in which case damage may be apparent early on. Sacroiliac joint X-rays can confirm a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. People with rheumatoid arthritis often have their bones X-rayed because the small bones show the progress of the disease in better detail. Other joints such as the hips, knees, elbows, and feet are X-rayed when the doctor wants to monitor disease activity.
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