Normal Knee X-Ray Report Template
Normal knee radiograph report template with alignment, joint space, effusion and patellar position sections, plus degenerative-change grading wording.
EXAMINATION: Knee radiograph, 3 views. CLINICAL HISTORY: [indication] COMPARISON: None available. TECHNIQUE: AP, lateral and sunrise views of the knee. FINDINGS: Alignment: Anatomic. No fracture or dislocation. Joint spaces: Preserved in all three compartments. Effusion: No joint effusion. Patella: Normal position and articulation. Soft tissues: Unremarkable. IMPRESSION: 1. No acute osseous abnormality.
Dictation notes
- A lipohemarthrosis on the lateral view is an intra-articular fracture until proven otherwise — say it explicitly.
- Grade compartment narrowing (mild / moderate / severe) rather than “degenerative changes” alone.
Frequently asked questions
What sections belong in a normal knee X-ray report?
A structured knee radiograph report covers alignment (no fracture or dislocation), joint spaces in all three compartments — medial, lateral and patellofemoral — the presence or absence of a joint effusion, patellar position and articulation, and soft tissues. A three-view series is typically AP, lateral and sunrise. The normal impression reads 'No acute osseous abnormality.'
What does a lipohemarthrosis on a knee X-ray mean?
A lipohemarthrosis — a fat-fluid level in the suprapatellar recess on a horizontal-beam lateral view — means fat and blood have escaped from the marrow into the joint. It should be treated as evidence of an intra-articular fracture until proven otherwise, even when no fracture line is visible, and the report should say so explicitly. A commonly occult culprit is a tibial plateau fracture, for which CT is often the next step.
How should degenerative change be graded on knee radiographs?
Compartment narrowing should be graded — mild, moderate or severe — and assigned to the specific compartment, rather than reported as 'degenerative changes' alone. Graded, compartment-specific wording lets follow-up studies detect progression and supports decisions such as arthroplasty referral. Accompanying features worth naming include osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis and cysts.
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