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2 replies [Last post]
October 26, 2009 - 7:46pm
Anonymous
X-ray vs. MRI

Hey Everyone- hoping someone can help clear up something for me. I recently went to my GP for hamstring/calf pain and had an x-ray done first. According to my doctor, I had stenosis (unchanged from an x-ray I had done 3 years ago) and she ordered an MRI. This MRI result was "mild degeneration at L1/L2, osteoarthritis throughout the spine, and no stenosis." Isn't that odd? Has anyone heard of this type of disparity between an x-ray and an MRI?

I start PT on Wednesday.

History: I am 41 now and I had a spinal fusion at age 10 for Spondylolisthesis and I had the plate/screw fusion in my neck about 10 years ago.

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

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October 26, 2009 - 8:13pm
#1
J.J.Grey
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MRI

You may want to take a copy of the xrays and the MRI and get another opinion. That may clear things up for you once and for all. Good luck.

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I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
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October 27, 2009 - 9:40pm
#2
dilauro
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You also need to consider each tests objectives

CT Scans are primary used to identify structural problems in your body. Great for finding broken bones, how fusion hardware is doing, etc

MRI makes use of strong magnets which are used to produce multiple and detail images of your spine, disc, etc
Many times you might hear the different slices in the image

Now for the medical details, directly from Spine-Health:

What is a MRI?

What is an X-Ray

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