Arthrography
Arthrography is an X-ray examination that involves injecting dye into a joint followed by X-rays.
The patient is lying down, the radiologist applies local anesthesia and then guides his needle with the X-rays until it reaches the correct position. The duration of arthrograms is often less than 15 minutes.
Goal:
- Arthrography can help detect lesions of tendons, ligaments, or menisci that are not visible on dye-free x-rays
- Arthrography can also be used to put medication (cortisone or other) at the precise location requested by the attending physician.
Preparing for your exam
- It is important to bring, during your examination, your images and reports of relevant examinations done elsewhere (X-rays, MRI, CT-Scan, Ultrasound), this is necessary for comparison purposes.
Infiltration
An infiltration consists of injecting a drug. Most often it is cortisone.
Several infiltrations can be done by the attending physician at his office, but when certain points to be infiltrated are too deep or too difficult to access, guidance becomes necessary and radiologists can offer this service.
The radiologist can infiltrate with ultrasound guidance or with fluoroscopic guidance (arthrography). The choice of the guiding method will be made according to the patient's problem.
Infiltrations are usually done in a lying or sitting position. The radiologist applies local anesthesia and guides his needle to the chosen position. Once in the right place, the drug is injected. The duration is usually less than 15 minutes.
Preparation
- It is important to bring, during your examination, your images and reports of relevant examinations done elsewhere (X-rays, MRI, CT-Scan, Ultrasound), this is necessary for comparison purposes.
After infiltration or arthrography:
- In the hours following the examination, discomfort may be felt at the puncture site
- A few people will have pain (relieved by Tylenol) for a day or two