FAQs About Knee Arthrogram in Radiology



What is it?
A arthrogram is a radiology study of a joint where contrast (sometimes called “dye”) is put into the joint with images then taken of the joint.
The images can be taken with the fluoroscopy/ x-ray system or with MRI or CT.
Why do we do it?
·        The contrast distends (“slightly expands from within”) the joint, allowing us to see soft tissue structures about the joint better.


·        For the knee, an arthrogram may be requested by your doctor for the following reason:
·        Chronic knee pain
·        Locking sensation
·        To better assess meniscal tears
·        To evaluate the knee after surgery
How do we do it?
·        We will cleanse your skin at the knee with a solution to make sure we do not introduce infection.
·        Local anesthetic or numbing medicine will usually be injected into the soft tissues to numb the knee – this part burns but the burning only lasts a short time, then you should just feel pressure.
·        We will place a small needle into the joint, using our fluoroscopy machine and low dose x-rays to make sure we get the needle precisely in the joint space.
·        The contrast material is then injected to distend the knee joint – iodinated contrast material if doing a conventional arthrogram or CT or dilute gadolinium, a heavy metal contrast material if being followed by MRI. This will make the knee feel tight.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the test?
·        No preparation is needed
·        We will ask for a list of your medications and drug allergies. If you have had a prior reaction to a contrast material, we will discuss the reaction with you and may adjust how we do the procedure.
Are there risks?
·        The main risks from the procedure are bleeding and infection. If you are on blood thinners or aspirin, we will take care to hold pressure longer to prevent bleeding.
·        The contrast material can sometimes cause reactions, but because the contrast material is going into the joint and not your blood vessels, the risk of reaction is very low.

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