Gloria, that is how they can tell, by just plain xrays. I seen my surgeon Thurs. I am 6 weeks post op. He told me they are going to do x rays in two months. I can say in the past, using my bone, it just crumbled away, so he had to put artificial bone in this time. i have had so many surgeries it is pityful. I do hope this works. He said it would take a year to heal. I sure hope your surgeries are over. I can say I have never been pain free.
Billie