Our son has osteochondritis of the knee (just one side). The surgeon who sees him is always ordering X-rays and MRIs to see how it’s coming along. Does this really give enough information to warrant being exposed to repeated doses of radiation? He’s only 14-years-old, so he has a lifetime ahead of possible exposure. We would like to limit that.

Parental concerns are always important. Be sure and ask any physician treating you or your family members for evidence to support their counsel and decisions. In some cases (like imaging studies that expose the body to radiation), the physician must weigh the advantages against the disadvantages.

With osteochondritis of the knee, there is agreement or consensus among surgeons and experts that current evidence supports the use of physical exam, X-rays, and/or MRIs to assess healing. If there is still knee pain, swelling, popping,locking, or giving way after treatment, further treatment may be needed.

Although arthroscopic exam would tell the surgeon much more about what’s going on inside the joint, it is an invasive procedure and much more expensive than a simple X-ray. X-rays show the lesion and its location.

MRIs give much more detail about depth and extent of the defect as well as show any other pathology in the knee that might have gone unnoticed otherwise. And there’s no radiation exposure with MRIs. This type of imaging uses magnetic and radio waves to create images.

Your surgeon may be able to get all the information needed using MRIs. They are more expensive than X-rays but they do offer more detail and with no exposure to radiation. Be sure and express your concerns and ask questions about this at your son’s next appointment.