Finding the right tests…
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Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
X-Ray
This test images both wrists from the front only, without the side view used when checking a single injured wrist, and it is ordered for a different reason than a fall or fracture. Rheumatoid arthritis and several related joint conditions tend to affect both wrists in a similar pattern, so a front-on view of each side, read side by side, is often enough for an early look at joint space narrowing or bone changes without adding a side view that a trauma workup would need. This is not the test used right after an injury; it is the one used when joint pain, stiffness, or swelling has shown up in both wrists over time.
Both wrists are imaged from the front only, letting a radiologist compare joint space width, bone density around the joints, and any early erosion on one side against the other. The side view used for a single injured wrist is not part of this study, since the front view alone is usually enough for this kind of side-by-side comparison.
Ordering both wrists from the front, without a side view, points toward a joint condition rather than an injury. Rheumatoid arthritis is described as a chronic condition that affects the small joints of the hands and wrists in a symmetric pattern, meaning both sides tend to be involved in a similar way rather than just one.
A front-on view lays out the joint spaces and bone edges of the wrist clearly enough to catch early changes like narrowing or small erosions, which is usually the main thing a doctor is screening for in a joint condition. A side view adds detail on alignment that matters more for a recent injury than for tracking a chronic joint disease.
Because a symmetric condition is expected to affect both wrists in a similar way, imaging both at once, in the same sitting, with the same settings, gives your doctor a fair side-by-side comparison rather than two X-rays taken under different conditions weeks apart.
This study is built to screen joint space and bone changes across both wrists, which a front view shows clearly enough on its own. A side view matters more for a recent injury, which is a different kind of test.
No, a recent fall or injury is usually checked with a single-wrist study that includes both a front and a side view. This bilateral front-only test is built for tracking a joint condition instead.
No, an X-ray shows joint changes that support a diagnosis but does not confirm it alone. Your doctor combines this with your symptoms, a physical exam, and often blood tests.
Rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions classically affect both sides in a similar pattern, so imaging both wrists together lets your doctor check whether the less symptomatic side is also affected.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Often, yes. Blood tests looking for markers of inflammation are commonly used alongside this kind of X-ray when a joint condition is suspected. Your doctor will decide what combination fits your case.
That depends on your specific condition and how your doctor is monitoring it. Ask your doctor what schedule they expect for follow-up imaging.
Yes, any jewelry on your hands or wrists should come off beforehand, since metal can show up on the image and obscure the joint details being checked.