Digital X-rays provide fast, detailed images of the bones and joints in your feet and ankles and are often one of the first imaging tests used to evaluate pain, injuries, deformities, and joint problems. At Joel Foster, DPM, digital foot and ankle X-rays are available in our Lee's Summit office, allowing Dr. Foster to evaluate many common problems without first sending you to a separate imaging center.
When combined with a physical examination and your description of how the problem started, an X-ray can provide important information about what may be causing your symptoms and whether additional foot and ankle imaging is necessary.
What Does a Foot or Ankle X-Ray Show?
X-rays are particularly useful for examining bone and joint structure. They can show the position of bones, changes in joint spaces, areas of abnormal bone formation, and many types of fractures and deformities.
Dr. Foster may recommend digital X-rays when evaluating:
- Foot or ankle fractures
- Stress injuries
- Sprained ankles when a fracture is possible
- Bunions
- Hammer toes
- Arthritis and joint degeneration
- Heel spurs
- Abnormal bone alignment
- Changes in foot shape
- Bone healing after an injury or procedure
- Persistent unexplained foot or ankle pain
When Should Foot or Ankle Pain Be X-Rayed?
Not every sore foot needs an X-ray. However, imaging becomes more important when symptoms or your examination suggest that a bone or joint may be involved.
For example, Dr. Foster may recommend an X-ray after a fall, twisting injury, sports injury, or direct impact if there is significant pain, swelling, bruising, difficulty walking, or concern about a fracture.
If you have recently rolled or twisted your ankle and are unsure whether it is sprained or broken, read more about evaluating and treating a sprained ankle.
X-rays can also be helpful when pain develops gradually. Repetitive stress can sometimes cause bone injuries without one obvious accident. If you have localized pain that gets worse with activity, our foot stress fracture guide explains symptoms that should not be ignored.
Digital X-Rays for Bunions and Other Foot Deformities
An X-ray can do more than look for broken bones. It can also help Dr. Foster understand how the bones in your foot are positioned in relation to one another.
That can be important when evaluating structural conditions such as bunions, hammer toes, and flat feet.
Imaging can help determine the severity of a deformity, identify changes within nearby joints, and provide information Dr. Foster can use when discussing conservative or surgical treatment options.
Can X-Rays Show Arthritis in the Foot or Ankle?
X-rays can identify structural changes commonly associated with arthritis, including narrowing of the space within a joint, changes in the shape of the bones, and bone spurs.
Because the feet and ankles contain numerous joints that absorb force with every step, determining exactly which joint is affected can help narrow down the source of pain and guide treatment decisions.
Can an X-Ray Diagnose Heel Pain?
An X-ray can show the bones of the heel and may identify a fracture, arthritis, bone spur, or other structural change. However, not all heel pain originates in the bone.
One of the most common causes of heel pain, plantar fasciitis/fasciosis, involves the plantar fascia, which is a soft tissue structure. Depending on your symptoms, Dr. Foster may use another form of imaging, such as diagnostic ultrasound, to evaluate soft tissues more directly.
Patients with heel spurs can also learn more on our heel spur treatment page.
Digital X-Ray vs. 3D Weight-Bearing CT
Digital X-rays and 3D weight-bearing CT scans both provide valuable information about bones and joints, but they are not interchangeable.
An X-ray provides a two-dimensional image and is often the appropriate first imaging study for many foot and ankle problems. It is fast and useful for evaluating fractures, alignment, arthritis, and deformities.
A 3D weight-bearing CT scan captures the anatomy from many angles and produces a three-dimensional view. Dr. Foster may recommend CT imaging when a condition is complex, when more detail is needed, or when he needs to understand the three-dimensional relationship between bones and joints under load.
Digital X-Ray vs. Ultrasound
The major difference is what each type of imaging shows best.
X-rays primarily show bones and joints. Ultrasound is particularly useful for viewing soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments, plantar fascia, fluid collections, and certain soft tissue masses.
If your symptoms suggest a tendon or soft tissue problem rather than a bone problem, Dr. Foster may recommend ultrasound instead of or in addition to an X-ray.
What Should I Expect During a Foot or Ankle X-Ray?
Digital X-rays are performed in the office. The foot or ankle is positioned to capture the views Dr. Foster needs to evaluate the area of concern.
More than one image or angle may be necessary because the foot contains many overlapping bones and joints. Different views allow Dr. Foster to better evaluate alignment and identify abnormalities that may not be visible from a single angle.
Once the images are available, Dr. Foster can consider them alongside your physical examination and symptoms to determine what should happen next.
What Happens After My X-Ray?
Imaging helps identify the problem, but treatment depends on the diagnosis.
A fracture may require protection or immobilization. A structural problem may respond to footwear changes, bracing, or custom orthotics. Other conditions may benefit from therapy or another conservative treatment.
If imaging identifies a significant structural problem and conservative care is unlikely to provide the desired result, Dr. Foster may discuss whether minimally invasive foot or ankle surgery is appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Foot and Ankle X-Rays
Can an X-ray tell if my foot is broken?
X-rays are commonly used to identify fractures, although some bone injuries can be difficult to see depending on their location, type, or stage of healing. If the diagnosis is not clear after an X-ray, additional imaging may be recommended.
Can an X-ray tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture?
An X-ray can help determine whether a fracture is present. A sprain involves ligaments, which are soft tissues and are not evaluated on a standard X-ray in the same way that bones are. Your examination and, when necessary, additional imaging help distinguish between different injuries.
Will plantar fasciitis/fasciosis show up on an X-ray?
plantar fasciitis/fasciosis affects soft tissue, so an X-ray does not directly show the plantar fascia the way ultrasound can. An X-ray may still be useful when Dr. Foster wants to evaluate the bones of the heel or rule out other causes of pain.
Do I need a CT scan if I already had an X-ray?
Not always. Many conditions can be evaluated effectively with X-rays alone. Dr. Foster may recommend CT imaging if he needs additional three-dimensional detail about a fracture, joint, deformity, or alignment problem.
Do foot X-rays use radiation?
Yes. While X-rays do use ionizing radiation, the amount of radiation from our pedCAT scan is very small. A pedCAT scan of both adult feet results in a dose of approximately 6.4 microSieverts. For perspective, a single serving of Brazil nuts exposes you to approximately 10 microSieverts from naturally occurring radiation. The radiation dose from a pedCAT scan is also comparable to the amount of natural background radiation the average person receives in approximately 19 hours.
Get Foot and Ankle X-Rays in Lee's Summit
If you have suffered a foot or ankle injury or have persistent pain that is not improving, getting the right diagnosis is an important first step toward effective treatment.
Joel Foster, DPM, is a double board-certified podiatric surgeon serving patients from Lee's Summit and communities throughout the Kansas City metro area. Patients from across the country also travel to Kansas City to seek Dr. Foster's expertise in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery.
Our direct-care model also makes it easier to understand the cost of care before making treatment decisions. You can review our current foot and ankle service pricing online.
Contact our Lee's Summit office or call 816-246-4222 to schedule an evaluation for your foot or ankle problem.
