Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles)

This is the short ankle series — two projections rather than the fuller set. It is quick, cheap, and enough to answer most questions about whether a bone is broken and whether the joint is still lined up. The listing here covers the study done on both ankles.

This explanation has not been reviewed by a person yet.

What it is

Ankle x-ray studies are coded by how many projections were taken, and this is the two-view version: typically a front view and a side view. Those two between them show the lower ends of the shin bones, the top of the talus beneath them, and the relationship between all of the above. What a radiologist is reading is not only whether a bone is cracked but whether the joint has stayed together — a break at the outer ankle that has left everything in position is treated quite differently from one where the talus has drifted. When both ankles are filmed, it is usually because both hurt: long-standing ankle pain, arthritis, and the aftermath of old injuries tend to be two-sided problems. A separate kind of study, taken with weight on the ankle to test whether it stays stable under load, is a different thing from this one.

Why it is done

To check quickly for a fracture after a fall, a twist, or a direct blow
To see whether the bones of the ankle joint are still in their normal relationship, which drives the treatment decision more than the crack itself
To investigate persistent pain in both ankles for arthritis or the remnants of old injuries
To confirm alignment after a cast or splint has been applied, or after a break has been manipulated back into place
To look for a fragment of bone pulled off at the edge of the joint

What to expect

The leg rests on the imaging plate with the foot flexed upward for the front view, then the leg is rolled onto its side for the second. The technologist steps behind a screen for each brief exposure. The visit is short — typically five to ten minutes in the room — and needs no preparation. It is painless in itself, though an acutely injured ankle is sore to move into position. Nothing is required afterward. In an emergency department the treating clinician usually looks at the images straight away, with a radiologist's formal report following.

Questions worth asking

Was a two-view study performed but a fuller series ordered, or the reverse? The projection count is the code, and mismatches are a common billing error worth checking.
If both ankles were filmed, does the bill show one bilateral study or two separate ones?
If weight-bearing or stress views are added later to test stability, is that a new study at a new charge?
Emergency department, urgent care, and orthopaedic office all take the same two pictures. Has anyone quoted the facility fee at each?
If the ankle is casted and re-imaged during healing, how many repeat films are expected and at what cost each?

What Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) costs by state

Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Texas — 109 hospitals, median $302.50
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Florida — 82 hospitals, median $535.60
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Ohio — 67 hospitals, median $361.50
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in California — 66 hospitals, median $315.36
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Illinois — 51 hospitals, median $385.92
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Virginia — 43 hospitals, median $269.00
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Tennessee — 38 hospitals, median $81.39
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Pennsylvania — 33 hospitals, median $301.60
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Wisconsin — 33 hospitals, median $315.48
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Iowa — 28 hospitals, median $205.51
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Michigan — 27 hospitals, median $358.61
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Indiana — 26 hospitals, median $295.20
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Georgia — 25 hospitals, median $333.85
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Washington — 25 hospitals, median $250.40
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in New Jersey — 23 hospitals, median $97.54
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in New York — 23 hospitals, median $104.19
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Arizona — 22 hospitals, median $97.63
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Kentucky — 22 hospitals, median $444.60
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Missouri — 21 hospitals, median $225.50
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Minnesota — 19 hospitals, median $220.00
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Oklahoma — 18 hospitals, median $244.40
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Colorado — 17 hospitals, median $1,106.01
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in West Virginia — 17 hospitals, median $201.60
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in North Carolina — 15 hospitals, median $219.60
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Nebraska — 13 hospitals, median $167.58
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Oregon — 13 hospitals, median $246.75
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in South Carolina — 12 hospitals, median $241.00
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Kansas — 11 hospitals, median $374.88
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Mississippi — 11 hospitals, median $86.08
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Arkansas — 10 hospitals, median $237.25
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Maine — 7 hospitals, median $294.10
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in South Dakota — 7 hospitals, median $304.00
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Alaska — 5 hospitals, median $504.66
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Nevada — 4 hospitals, median $463.51
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in North Dakota — 4 hospitals, median $212.00
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Wyoming — 4 hospitals, median $186.56
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Hawaii — 2 hospitals, median $147.52
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Louisiana — 2 hospitals, median $96.98
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Maryland — 2 hospitals, median $106.80
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in Montana — 2 hospitals, median $179.20
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in New Mexico — 2 hospitals, median $204.54
Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost in New Hampshire — 1 hospitals, median $346.60

Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) prices at hospitals

See every published price for Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles): the full national range, the state and hospital breakdowns, and which hospitals charge the least.

Ankle X-ray (2 views, both ankles) cost — see all prices →

Sources

OrthoInfo (AAOS): Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle) (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)
RadiologyInfo (RSNA/ACR): X-ray (Radiography) - Bone (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)
Wikipedia (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)

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