Give your care team the full picture.

An MRI uses a strong magnet and radio waves to create detailed images with no radiation. It is the clearest way to see cartilage, ligaments, tendons, spinal discs, nerves and the brain. Your physician names the exact study after your consultation.

Grouped by the area scanned. Open a category to see what that MRI is commonly ordered for; your physician names the exact study after your consultation.

• Ongoing joint pain in the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle or foot that hasn't been fully explained.
• Back or neck pain with a suspected disc, nerve or spinal canal cause.
• Sports injuries where a ligament, meniscus, cartilage or tendon may be involved.
• Neurological conditions where the brain or spinal cord needs to be seen in detail.
• Anyone considering treatment who wants the care team to see the target area clearly first.

1. Eat and take your usual medications as normal, unless your coordinator tells you otherwise.
2. Wear comfortable clothing with no metal: no zippers, underwire, snaps or belts. You may be given a gown.
3. Leave jewelry, watches, hairpins, cards and your phone outside the scan room.
4. Bring a list of any surgeries or implants, and any previous imaging of the same area if you have it.
5. Plan for 30 to 60 minutes of lying still. Earplugs or headphones are usually provided for the noise.
6. If contrast is planned, you may be asked not to eat for a few hours beforehand.

An MRI uses a powerful magnet, so you’ll complete a short screening before the scan. Tell your coordinator ahead of time if any of these apply, so the right scan can be planned:

• A pacemaker, defibrillator, cochlear implant, neurostimulator or insulin pump
• Metal implants, clips, plates, screws, or metal fragments from an injury or work
• Pregnancy, or the possibility of pregnancy
• Kidney problems, if a contrast scan is being considered
• Claustrophobia or anxiety in enclosed spaces. Let the team know; options can be discussed in advance.

X-rays are the quickest way to see bone: joint alignment, the space left between bones, bone spurs and signs of arthritis. The X-rays recommended through TreVita are taken while you stand or move, so they show how a joint or spine behaves under real load.

• Joint osteoarthritis in the knee, hip or ankle, to measure joint space and alignment under load.
• Back pain that changes with position, where spinal instability is suspected.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, to document joint changes over time.
• Anyone starting an evaluation, since X-rays often decide whether further imaging is needed at all.

1. No fasting or special preparation. Eat and take medications as usual.
2. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in; you may be asked to change into a gown.
3. Remove jewelry, belts and anything metal near the area being imaged.
4. For dynamic spine X-rays, bend forward and backward only as far as is comfortable, never into pain.
5. Bring previous X-rays of the same area if you have them, so changes can be compared.

X-rays use a low dose of radiation, roughly comparable to what you receive from natural background sources over a few days. Tell your coordinator if:

• You are pregnant or could be pregnant. An alternative or a shielded approach will be discussed.
• You've had recent imaging of the same area, so it isn't repeated unnecessarily.

A CT scan combines many X-ray images taken from different angles into detailed cross-sectional and three-dimensional views. For bone, it shows more than a standard X-ray can: the fine structure of a joint, how a fracture is healing, and the shape of complex anatomy such as the pelvis, spine or wrist.

• Complex joint or spine anatomy that needs to be seen in three dimensions.
• Bone-focused questions such as fracture healing, bone loss or bony overgrowth.
• Clients who can't have an MRI because of certain implants or devices.
• Anyone whose X-ray left a question open that only finer bone detail can answer.

1. For a bone CT without contrast, no fasting is needed. Eat and take medications as usual.
2. Wear comfortable clothing without metal; remove jewelry, glasses, hearing aids and dentures if near the area.
3. You'll lie on a table that moves slowly through a ring-shaped scanner, much less enclosed than an MRI.
4. If contrast is planned, you may be asked not to eat for a few hours and to drink water afterward.

A CT uses more radiation than a plain X-ray, which is why it’s recommended only when the extra detail matters. Tell your coordinator if:

• You are pregnant or could be pregnant.
• You have kidney problems, diabetes, or a history of reaction to contrast, in case contrast is being considered.
• You've had a recent CT of the same area.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound uses sound waves to produce live images of tendons, ligaments, muscles and the fluid around joints. Because it’s real-time, the specialist can watch a tendon glide as you move, press on the exact spot that hurts, and compare it with the other side. It’s the lighter option for tendon questions; when deeper structures need to be seen, an MRI is the next step.

• Tendon injuries from sport or overuse, where the question is a tear, inflammation or thickening.
• Soft-tissue pain that changes with movement or pressure.
• Clients who prefer to avoid an MRI or can't have one.
• Anyone who wants a quick first look at a tendon or ligament before deciding on further imaging.

1. No preparation needed. Eat, drink and take medications as usual.
2. Wear loose clothing that gives easy access to the area: shorts for a knee or ankle, a sleeveless top for a shoulder.
3. A water-based gel is applied to the skin; it wipes off easily and doesn't stain.
4. Be ready to move the joint or point to where it hurts. That's part of the exam.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound has no radiation and no known risks, and is safe in pregnancy and with implants. The only thing to mention is an open wound or recent surgery over the area, so the exam can be planned around it.