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Need Help With med speak

Hi all!

I had some X Rays of my right hip, and right knee the other day, and just got the results. The doctor was a bit rushed and tried the best he could to put it in terminology I would understand, but alas I came away with more questions than answers LOL.

Was wondering if anyone here could be of help to me, and put this in some language I can understand.

Quote:

Report: Right hip
There is a larger spur in the superolateral aspect of the acetabulum on the right side without evidence of fracture, dislocation or narrowing of the joint. No soft tissue abnormality.

Summary:
Early hypertrophic change in the superolateral aspect of the acetabulum on the right side; no acute abnormality.

Report: Right knee
There is slight increase in prominence of the intercondylar spines of the tibial plateau associated with irregularity of the posterior patella. No narrowing or cartilaginous calcification.

Summary:
Early anterior and middle compartmental degenerative disease of the right knee.

This is in the RSD leg, and when I was complaining about deep bone pain in the hip and knee is when he ordered the x rays. It doesnt sound real bad, but does sound like the beginings of something that could get worse.

Sure hope someone around here can explain what all this means for me.

I don't know about the hip....i've just always had problems with my knee. To me, what it sounds like is going on w/ your knee is the beginning of arthetis. My recent CT showed minimal joint space narrowing and subchondral sclerosis (degenerative changes) w/in the medial compartment. Basically i've got a bummed knee that's just degenerating, or arthetis. Now, when they are talking about your platellar, pray to God that you're not getting a platellar tracking problem...if so, i HIGHLY advise the physical therapy. B/c i had that done, did the therapy and it worked, until i reinjured it at a tournement. Then they did a lateral release w/ an open medial repair. The lateral release wasn't so bad...but the medial repair?!?! :( Very painful and hard to recover from, and this was before my RSD. Hopefully this provides some insight, or atleast some basis for some questions (which you already have plenty :)). Have a good one, and hopefully someone will read the results better for you.

Hi Allen, For what you have written, in the hip, a large spur as described would suggest early arthritic (wear and tear) changes. If they exist on both sides, you could tell if the other hip was x-rayed, then it may be a normal varient. With no joint narrowing, if any arthritic process is occuring inside the joint, it is minimal. It should be noted though that arthritis can be a misnomer in that when seen on x-rays, may be entirely asymptomatic. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it is causing a problem!

Similar findings for the knee: increased prominence of the intercondylar spines just means, again, wear and tear as this is where the crutiate ligaments attach and just represents years of those ligaments tugging on the bones, so they accomodate and enlarge. Irregularity of the posterior patella means you have some minimal level of wear and tear of the backside of the kneecap that contacts your upper leg bone and would be expected as life goes on (don't want to say age!). No narrowing means that if internal deterioration exists, it's minimal.

In all, these are pretty benign findings that smell more of wear and tear and could be found with someone who has no pain. The described visualized changes take a long time to occur, have likely been there for a year or more (x-rays if taken 6 months ago likely would have looked the same) and may even predate your current pain. So there may be no x-ray correlation with your deep bone pain of the knee and hip. But x-rays miss a lot so I would suggest you talk to your doc about a bone scan or dedicated MRI of the hip and knee, if it bugs you enough, just to make sure there is not a more ominous and yet undiscovered issue occuring.

Hope this helps...

Thank you both!!

I kinda figured it wasnt too bad sounding. The doctor was saying something like there is some spurs that are around the edges kinda like claws that drag against the bone when I move.

He never got past that part, so he didnt tell me about what all this was saying. The next question to him will be how does this affect the osteopenia in this same leg. Seems this leg is deteriorating a bit faster than the other leg, which checks out completely normal.

RSD really messes with our bodies in weird ways, and I believe it has something to with the way the nerves are supposed to work with the bones and muscles. Ours arent working right, so the whole thing isnt working right.

I knew I came to the right place for the best answers, thank you soooo much!!! :grouphug: