Arthogram

Alternative names: A joint X -ray
Arthogram is a test used to take the pictures of the joints with the help of contrast material and X –ray technique. Contrast material is a dye, air, water, or combination of these materials. This material makes your doctor to see the soft tissue structures when put in the affected joint. Soft tissue structures include tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscles, and your joint capsules. These structures do not appear in a normal X- ray. Fluoroscopy type of X- ray is used to take pictures of these joints. The exact cause behind the problem is detected with the help of Arthogram. It is more useful technique. Hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist, elbow, jaw are the parts which can be examined with the help of this test.

Need

It helps to detect the cause of ongoing, undetected usual joint pain, swelling or abnormal joint movement. It may be performed alone or before the tests like MRI, CT or arthroscopy. It also finds the problems with joint capsule, ligament, cartilage, and the bones in the joints. It also detects fluid- fill cysts or abnormal growths. It also checks the needle placement before painkilling injection such as corticosteroid injection.

Procedure

A radiologist will ask you to remove all the ornaments from your body. You are asked to lie or sit down keeping your joint under the X –ray viewer. A video screen is attached to it which shows the images of the joints. With a special soap, the joint area is examined. A local anesthesia is used to numb the skin and tissues in joint area. With help of the needle, a joint fluid is removed to keep more dye flowing through the joint. Then a dye or air is put into the joint. Sometimes double contrast is achieved by injecting both dye and air. You are asked to move the joint so as to spread the contrast in the joint. You have to hold the joint steady while x-rays are being taken. In case of following MRI or CT, a fluid named epinephrine is mixed into dye so as to avoid its spreading in other tissues.

Result

In normal result, a joint capsule or the joint fluid sac is found normal. There is no fault in cartilage and other joint structures. In abnormal cases, the cartilage is worn down or there is a tear in cartilage cushion. Sometimes, a tear in cartilage muscles tendons or ligament is found. There may be enlarged or ruptured joint capsule. There may be the presence of abnormal material in the joint.

Consideration

There may be a joint pain for one or two days. Sometimes, an allergic reaction is observed to the dye. The test may cause the infection in the joint area. There may be damage to the structures inside your joint or bleeding in the joint. There may be slight risk of damage to cells radiation including the low levels of radiation used for this test.
Use ice for any swelling or pain and do not give stress on the joint for one or two days.