#Xray of foot skin#

X-rays of the toe or toes are used to determine the cause of symptoms such as pain, tenderness, swelling or a deformity of the to or toes, leg, foot, or ankle.Ī toe X-ray can detect infection, cysts, or tumors in the toe or foot.Ī toe X-ray can detect broken bones, assist a physician in setting the broken bone, and can monitor the treatment process to determine whether the bone is properly aligned and the break is healing properly. Physicians use toe X-rays to locate foreign objects within the body and to guide them in setting broken bones. Toe X-rays can be used to diagnose a disease, monitor the progression of the disease, determine a treatment plan, and see the effect of a treatment plan. The X-ray can help a physician find a cause for the problems occurring. This is often due to a condition called a stress reaction. Sometimes a patient will have all the symptoms of a stress fracture including pain right on a metatarsal bone and swelling on top of the foot but no fracture ever shows up on x-ray. A physician may order an X-ray to check for certain cancers in different parts of the foot by detecting abnormal tumors, growths or lumps.Ī toe X-ray is used to view the area of the foot where a patient is experiencing pain, swelling, or other abnormalities that require an internal view of the body. Metatarsal Stress Reactions The Stress Fracture That Never Shows on X-ray. Toe X-rays are used for a multitude of reasons. It is a key element and often times the first to be done in the diagnosis process. Toe X-rays are used to identify, diagnose, and treat many types of medical conditions. Also, X-rays can show mild osteoarthritis (i.e., minor abnormalities) while a patient may be experiencing severe symptoms. X-rays of osteoarthritis do not detect early cartilage abnormalities. One of the most common uses of a toe X-ray is to check for broken bones after an accident, but they are also used under many other circumstances. About 80 of people 55 and older have X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis and approximately 60 develop symptoms.

As different tissues in the body absorb different amounts of radiation, the images will show different shades of black and white.

#Xray of foot skin#

Toe X-rays pass through skin and soft tissue mostly, but do not pass through bone or metal easily.