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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo help determine the cause of your knee pain, your doctor may recommend imaging tests such as:
- X-rays. A small amount of radiation passes through your body in the process of creating X-ray images. This technique visualizes bone well, but is less effective at viewing soft tissues.
- Computerized tomography (CT scan). CT scans combine X-ray images taken from many different angles to create cross-sectional images of internal structures. CT scans can visualize both bone and soft tissues, but the procedure delivers a much higher dose of radiation than do plain X-rays.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using radio waves and a strong magnetic field, MRIs produce very detailed images of bones and soft tissues. But MRIs are much more expensive than X-rays or CT scans.
References
- Hudgins TH. Patellofemoral syndrome. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/203760062-4/1007205249/1678/68.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50067-5--cesec14_1089. Accessed June 1, 2010.
- O'Connor FG, et al. Patellofemoral pain syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
- Runner's knee (Patellofemoral pain). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00382. Accessed June 2, 2010.
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