X-ray of the hand - what is it and what does the examination include?

Duration

30 minutes

X-rays of the hands are performed in a few minutes or even seconds.
Developing and describing photographs takes no more than 15-20 minutes. Soreness

No pain

The study is non-invasive and painless.
Anesthesia

No anesthesia required

The study is non-invasive and painless.
Preparation

No preparation required

The examination is painless.
No contrast is used. Rehabilitation

Not required

The examination is painless.
No contrast is used. Work ability

Saved

The examination is painless.
No contrast is used. Sports activities

No restrictions

The examination is painless.
No contrast is used. The skeleton of the upper limbs consists of the pleural girdle and the skeleton of the free upper limbs, i.e. hands The shoulder girdle, in turn, consists of the shoulder blades and collarbones.

Fractures of the forearm bones are one of the most common skeletal injuries. If you have injured your hand, you cannot move your fingers and the pain does not go away, you should consult a traumatologist. According to statistics, most fractures occur in the radial hand of the forearm.

In this case, the doctor usually prescribes x-rays of the hands, an affordable and informative radiological diagnostic method. The study is carried out if a fracture, crack, displacement, rupture or sprain is suspected. Such consequences can result from injuries, including those received during sports, bruises, falls, and road accidents.

Intra-articular fractures may be accompanied by hemarthrosis (bleeding into the joint cavity). In this case, joint puncture (manipulation during which fluid is pumped out) is indicated.

The following fractures of the forearm bones are distinguished:

• radius fractures;
• fractures of the diaphysis (middle part) of both bones of the forearm);
• ulna fractures;
• fracture of the neck or head of the radius;
• olecranon fractures;
• fractures of the coronoid process, etc.

The diagnosis of “dislocation” is usually made when the radiologist sees how the articular surfaces of the bones of the forearms intersect.

What does a hand x-ray show?

Based on the image, the doctor determines the diagnosis and its severity. The following pathological processes can be identified using x-rays:

• Osteophytes. They are peculiar neoplasms of irregular shape, formed from bone tissue.
• Arthrosis. The presence of arthritis is indicated by calcifications (deposition of calcium in soft tissues, inflammation of the joints.
• Fracture. The image clearly shows fractures or dislocations of the wrist or phalanges of the fingers.
• Synovitis. Sometimes the cause of pain in the hand is synovitis. This pathology is characterized by the accumulation of synovial fluid in the joint cavity.
• Neoplasms. X-rays of the hands can detect benign neoplasms, such as cysts.

X-rays can detect any changes in bone tissue, joints or muscles. The procedure takes literally a couple of minutes. Decryption takes no more than half an hour.

Features of bone x-rays

The procedure does not require any preparation from the patient - it is only important to take a referral from the attending physician with you and provide it to the radiologist. The procedure is carried out in a specially equipped room; before it begins, the patient is asked to remove all metal objects. If there are metal inserts in the diagnosed upper limb, you need to warn the doctor about this. Parts of the body that are not diagnosed are provided with protection in the form of a special membrane made of lead. The patient sits on a chair and places his hands on the table. The projection of the pictures can be different; for this, the hands are placed on the table in different positions.

X-ray of the hand for bone age

This manipulation is most often carried out in childhood to assess the correspondence of the child’s physical growth and the level of bone development. Thanks to this manipulation, it is possible to exclude developmental delays and a number of endocrinological pathologies. To determine bone age, the results in the image are compared with bone maturation standards using special tables. When assessing bone age, the doctor first of all pays attention to the presence of ossification nuclei and the formation of synostoses.

Injuries and diseases of the wrist joint

The wrist joint is a complex and movable connection of the bones of the forearm and hand, in terms of the number of bones involved. The joint is ellipsoidal, has two axes of rotation, and movements in it occur in three planes. The motility of the hand and arm depends on this joint, so its injuries and diseases cannot be ignored.

The main injury characteristic of the wrist joint is a fracture. When falling, we reflexively put out an outstretched arm and palm to protect our face and body from hitting the ground. The force of the impact can cause relatively small and fragile bones to break. The risk of injury increases in old age, with a lack or imbalance of physical activity, an unbalanced diet, osteoporosis and bone diseases. There are several types of fractures in the wrist joint:

• Open or closed depending on whether the broken bone damaged the integrity of the skin.
• Comminuted - the bone is broken into 3 or more parts.
• Smith's fracture or Colles' fracture - the damaged fragment of the forearm is displaced to the dorsal or palmar surface.
• Intra-articular or extra-articular - the site of injury is near or directly in the joint.

Each type of fracture requires its own treatment tactics to ensure full hand function is restored.

In addition to fractures, there are such types of injuries as: severe bruising, dislocation, displacement. In addition, there are a number of diseases that worry the patient and require diagnosis and treatment. These are inflammatory and infectious processes in the joint, carpal tunnel syndrome and others.

When is a hand x-ray taken?

This procedure is performed for children and adults for certain indications:

• Hand injuries (suspected dislocation or fracture).
• Growth retardation (need to determine bone age).
• Complaints of pain in the hand.
• Abnormal hand structure.
• Hyperemia and swelling of the hand in the hand area.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Gout.
• Complete or partial limitation of limb mobility.
• The appearance of protruding tubercles and various neoplasms.

X-rays of the hands are also done for rheumatoid arthritis or arthrosis. Diagnostics are carried out to assess the condition of the joints, determine the severity of the pathological process or monitor the positive dynamics of treatment.

Our clinics in St. Petersburg

Structural subdivision of Polikarpov Alley Polikarpov 6k2 Primorsky district

• Pionerskaya
• Specific

• Commandant's

Structural subdivision of Zhukov Marshal Zhukov Ave. 28k2 Kirovsky district

• Avtovo
• Avenue of Veterans
• Leninsky Prospekt

Structural subdivision Devyatkino Okhtinskaya alley 18 Vsevolozhsk district

• Devyatkino
• Civil Prospect
• Academic

For detailed information and to make an appointment, you can call +7 (812) 640-55-25

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We draw your attention to the schedule of technological breaks in the CT and X-ray rooms.

It is quite difficult to independently determine the cause of the ailment or make a diagnosis for mechanical damage to the hand. Therefore, in case of severe pain, swelling of soft tissue, restriction of movement of the hand, fingers, fever, as an accompanying symptom of hand pathology, if there has been an injury, you should urgently go to the emergency room; or to a surgeon, orthopedist and neurologist in case of discomfort in the hand area for no apparent reason. Any specialist in such situations, after collecting an anamnesis and a careful examination, will refer the patient for an x-ray of the hand to clarify the diagnosis.

Today, almost every medical institution has an X-ray room. But if you don’t want to waste time in line or the pain is so strong that it is impossible to wait, if you need a high-quality image, a high-quality study and consultation with a qualified specialist, then come to the Medicenter. In the traumatology department of the Medicenter, you will quickly and safely undergo an x-ray examination of your hands, provide first aid and consult with the leading doctors of the city. The Medicenter clinic network has a modern digital X-ray device Clinomat, which carries out all types of X-ray examinations in full. In the operating conditions of an emergency room, it is very important to quickly obtain research results and make a correct diagnosis based on them, so the clinic’s equipment allows you to almost instantly carry out a complete X-ray diagnosis, study the results obtained in various processing modes and make accurate diagnoses for further prescription of effective therapy.

X-ray of a finger

Often there is a need to diagnose one finger on the hand; in most cases, this measure is relevant for injuries. To exclude a finger fracture and other changes in bone tissue after injury, doctors recommend taking an x-ray. Please note that in this case, the entire hand is diagnosed; one finger is not examined. X-ray is a safe procedure because radiation exposure has a minimal dosage. If your doctor has prescribed such a procedure for you, you should not refuse or worry. If you follow safety precautions (use a lead apron), there will be no consequences. If necessary, diagnostics can be carried out even several times a year.

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Preparing for an X-ray

To take an x-ray of the right and left hands, no preliminary preparation is needed. Before the procedure, you need to remove rings, bracelets, watches and place your hands (or arm) on the work table of the X-ray machine as directed by a radiologist.

To protect from the influence of ionizing radiation those parts of the patient’s body that are not involved in the study, special lead aprons or vests are used.

Indications for radiography

To study the condition, anatomical features, and injuries, the following are used: x-ray of the wrist joint, MRI or ultrasound. MRI is informative for assessing soft tissues and ligaments; radiography is a fast, accurate and accessible method when the goal is to examine bone structures.

The doctor will recommend an x-ray if:

• Injuries - fractures, bruises, dislocations of the wrist, radius.
• Pain in the joint area.
• Swelling and severe hematomas after a bruise, impaired blood supply to the fingers, numbness of the hand.
• Tumors.
• Degenerative-inflammatory diseases.
• Anomalies in the structure of the bones in this area.
• Stiffness of movements, crunching, clicking when bending, rotating the hand.

X-ray images will help in assessing the effectiveness of treatment and in planning surgery in the joint area.

Research methodology

The process of diagnosing hand diseases, which involves an x-ray procedure, occurs as follows: the patient puts on a protective apron; sits down in a chair; places the sore hand palm down (fingers are straightened and closed if possible) on a special table; the hand is filmed in one (sometimes in two) projections, the fingers and each finger are filmed separately in two projections. The X-ray diagnostic process takes approximately 10–15 minutes. The laboratory technician takes a picture for a few seconds - during this time you should try not to move your hand.

The unique ultra-modern device Luminos RF Classic, which qualified specialists use in medical settings, allows you to take x-rays of the hand in different projections, without changing the patient’s position. This is convenient not only for medical personnel, but also for the patient (minimal pain).

This device provides minimal radiation exposure due to the high degree of sensitivity of the cassettes used in the medical center. This reduces radiation exposure by almost half compared to traditional radiography at the nearest clinic. Lead apron protection further reduces exposure.

Contraindications

For emergency indications, hand x-rays are performed on any patient. Relative contraindications include: pregnancy, breastfeeding.

Alternative research methods

• computed tomography of the hand bones - greater resolution, but higher ionizing radiation and the cost of the examination;
• magnetic resonance imaging - allows you to assess the condition of the bone marrow, soft tissues and joint structures.

Risks

• The risks of x-ray exposure from x-rays of the hand and wrist are very low. But they are common to all diagnostic methods using x-rays - the risk of developing cancer and the danger to the fetus in the womb.
• An X-ray of the hand and wrist joint requires a very small dose of radiation, and therefore the risk of developing cancer during this study is minimal.
• If pregnant women may be pregnant, a lead apron may be used to protect the abdominal area. Children should also wear an apron during the examination to protect their reproductive organs.

X-rays allow you to quickly diagnose bone pathologies such as fractures and dislocations. But x-rays cannot determine the presence of damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. If there is a suspicion of soft tissue damage, additional research methods (MRI, ultrasound) may be recommended.