Depending on your condition or injury, Dr. Petkov may order an X-ray or ultrasound — sometimes both. An X-ray uses a small amount of ionizing radiation that passes through your body. Each type of bone or tissue absorbs different amounts of the beams.
Dense components, such as bones, absorb more radiation than soft tissues, which is why bones appear white. Ultrasound imaging is used to view soft tissues and uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images instead of radiation.
Sometimes ultrasounds are beneficial for hard-to-detect issues or soft tissue injuries because they’re in real-time. This allows doctors in Clifton, New Jersey to glide the ultrasound’s handheld device over your injured area, so he can target the precise area he needs to see. Ultrasound imaging can also be used in order to guide injection therapy for various foot and ankle problems.