The Yorkshire Knee clinic has ready access to all necessary imaging techniques.

These include:-

• X-rays (plain radiology) which can usually be done immediately and are used to examine the bones of the knee in particular looking for signs of arthritis, loose bodies or bone fragments in the knee, fractures and other more unusual conditions of the bone.
  
  
  « An x-ray of a normal knee »
  
  
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scan). This is one of the current best techniques for examining knees for soft tissue injuries such as ligament injuries, cartilage tears and damage to the joint surface cartilage covering. Whether or not you require an MRI scan will be discussed with your surgeon.
  
  
  « An MRI scan showing a normal knee »
  
  
  « An MRI scan showing a normal meniscus»
  
  
• Ultrasound scans. Ultrasound scans are a useful and simple investigation for some knee problems including problems with the patella or quadriceps tendon, diagnosis of cysts around the knee and other more superficial knee conditions.
• Computerised Tomography (CT scans). CT scans for knee problems have in some way been surpassed by MRI scans but still have a very useful role where the diagnosis is specifically related to the bone around the knee.
• Other imaging techniques e.g. isotope (radioactive) bone scans. These are less commonly used than the standard imaging investigations.

In the hospitals used by the Yorkshire Knee Clinic there are consultant radiologists with a particular expertise in problems of the musculoskeletal system who will report the results of the above investigations and in some cases (e.g. ultrasound) will also perform the investigation.

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