The Role of Plain Film Radiography

The Role of Plain Film Radiography

Attempts to determine the association between the radiographic and clinical findings of knee pathology have produced conflicting results. It is also not yet known how knee radiographs influence the conservative management of patients with knee pain. The objective of the study is to determine the association between the clinical and radiographic diagnoses of knee pain and to record the suspected clinical diagnoses and management of the patients prior to referral for radiographs of the knee. The study will also determine any change in the clinical diagnoses and management following radiographic reporting of the selected radiographs. Degenerative changes were the most common radiographic findings. The majority of the knee radiographs were requested at the initial consultation and as the length of treatment increased, the frequency of radiograph requests decreased. Knee radiographs were over-utilized at the CDC and the findings on radiography did not have much influence on the diagnosis and the management of the patient presenting with knee pain. The majority of the clinical diagnoses were degenerative causes of knee pain.