Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees)

Some people are born with a kneecap that formed in two pieces instead of one, and on a film after a fall that looks exactly like a fracture. Since the variant usually affects both knees, the other knee is filmed as the control. This listing is the three-view knee study done on both sides.

This explanation has not been reviewed by a person yet.

What it is

Three views is the working standard for a knee: the front, the side, and one more angle chosen for the question being asked — usually a view taken from above with the knee bent, which brings the kneecap out from in front of the joint and shows how it sits in its groove. That third projection is what separates this study from a quick two-view film, and it is the one that matters for the kneecap. A specific reason both knees get filmed is the divided kneecap: in some people the bone never fused into a single piece, and the line where it did not fuse mimics a break. Because it is commonly present on both sides, an image of the opposite knee showing the same line is strong evidence that nothing is broken.

Why it is done

To look for a fracture of the kneecap, the top of the shinbone, or the end of the thighbone after a fall or a direct blow
To distinguish a kneecap that formed in two pieces from one that has cracked, by comparing with the other side
To check the position of the kneecap in its groove in people with pain at the front of the knee
To see how much space is left between the bones, which is the indirect measure of cartilage wear
To confirm alignment after a knee has been put back into place or repaired

What to expect

The first view is taken standing or lying with the leg straight; the second with the knee turned onto its side and slightly bent; the third with the knee bent over the edge of the table or the plate held against the thigh. Each exposure is momentary, and the appointment runs around ten minutes for one knee, longer if both are being done. No preparation is needed. A knee that is swollen and painful is unpleasant to bend into the third position, and the technologist will work around what is possible. A radiologist reads the series and reports it.

Questions worth asking

Knee x-rays are coded by the number of projections, and the step from three views to four or more is a different, higher-priced code. How many were taken, and which is on the bill?
If the opposite knee was filmed purely for comparison, was that billed as a second complete study?
If a CT or MRI is already planned for the same knee, is the x-ray still necessary first?
Was this done at an urgent care or an emergency department, and what would the same series cost at an orthopaedic clinic with its own machine?
If the films are repeated after a cast or brace is applied on the same day, is that a second charge?

What Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) costs by state

Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Texas — 109 hospitals, median $404.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Florida — 82 hospitals, median $769.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Ohio — 67 hospitals, median $420.60
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in California — 65 hospitals, median $405.60
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Illinois — 51 hospitals, median $487.85
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Virginia — 43 hospitals, median $329.50
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Tennessee — 38 hospitals, median $112.24
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Wisconsin — 33 hospitals, median $327.36
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Pennsylvania — 32 hospitals, median $399.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Iowa — 31 hospitals, median $307.36
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Michigan — 27 hospitals, median $358.61
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Indiana — 26 hospitals, median $458.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Georgia — 25 hospitals, median $402.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Washington — 25 hospitals, median $264.48
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in New Jersey — 23 hospitals, median $97.54
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in New York — 23 hospitals, median $104.19
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Arizona — 22 hospitals, median $118.80
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Kentucky — 22 hospitals, median $639.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Missouri — 21 hospitals, median $253.55
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Minnesota — 19 hospitals, median $272.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Oklahoma — 18 hospitals, median $388.30
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Colorado — 17 hospitals, median $1,151.96
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in West Virginia — 17 hospitals, median $403.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in North Carolina — 15 hospitals, median $227.45
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Nebraska — 13 hospitals, median $275.71
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Oregon — 13 hospitals, median $246.75
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Kansas — 11 hospitals, median $517.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Mississippi — 11 hospitals, median $107.83
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in South Carolina — 11 hospitals, median $390.60
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Arkansas — 10 hospitals, median $357.50
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Maine — 7 hospitals, median $472.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in South Dakota — 7 hospitals, median $384.80
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Alaska — 5 hospitals, median $686.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Nevada — 4 hospitals, median $516.81
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in North Dakota — 4 hospitals, median $233.60
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Wyoming — 4 hospitals, median $270.34
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Hawaii — 2 hospitals, median $192.00
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Louisiana — 2 hospitals, median $113.88
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Maryland — 2 hospitals, median $124.80
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in Montana — 2 hospitals, median $182.40
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in New Mexico — 2 hospitals, median $362.88
Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost in New Hampshire — 1 hospitals, median $503.65

Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) prices at hospitals

See every published price for Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees): the full national range, the state and hospital breakdowns, and which hospitals charge the least.

Knee X-ray (3 views, both knees) cost — see all prices →

Sources

OrthoInfo (AAOS): Patellar (Kneecap) Fractures (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)
MedlinePlus: Bone x-ray (opens in a new tab, leaves healthcosts.net)

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