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Bone spur on ankle/heel

Posted , 5 users are following.

albert82870
albert82870

I have a hard bony growth on my right foot, on the left side of my back heel. this has been around for several months. it hurts when my body is cold but when my body is warmed up, it does not. i went to a bone specialist last August while i was in another country, he X-Rayed it and said it was a bone spur.

i went to a GP recently and he asked me to get an MRI scan done. i am still waiting for the results of that, but i am wondering why did this doctor suggest an MRI and not an X-Ray?

what's the difference between the two?

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • deedeemouse
    deedeemouse albert82870

    Posted

    An MRI will pick up more than an xray. I had pain under my rib and an xray showed nothing abnormal. They then did an MRI and it turned out I had 2 fractured ribs.

  • Magic22
    Magic22 albert82870

    Posted

    Simple answer. X-ray will show bony anatomy well, while the MRI may demonstrate soft tissue.

  • shelley27394
    shelley27394 albert82870

    Posted

    Hi,

    X-rays can only see bone. MRI scans show soft tissue and everything else, they are brilliant at showing all sorts of issues. Because MRI scans cost so much it's very rarely the first port of call. I would guess the MRI is to see if the spur is causing any soft tissue issues.

    Shelley.

  • deedeemouse
    deedeemouse albert82870

    Posted

    however, the X ray didn't show my bone fractures.

    • shelley27394
      shelley27394 deedeemouse

      Posted

      Yeah, sometimes if the a fracture is minimally displaced theyre not always visible unfortunately. But this person has a spur, and that's been recognised. A spur and a fracture are two different things.

    • shelley27394
      shelley27394 deedeemouse

      Posted

      Yeah, sometimes if the a fracture is minimally displaced theyre not always visible unfortunately. But this person has a spur, and that's been recognised. A spur and a fracture are two different things.

    • deedeemouse
      deedeemouse shelley27394

      Posted

      Yes, I know they are different .I was just saying my fracture didn't show in Xray.

    • Magic22
      Magic22 deedeemouse

      Posted

      There are many reasons a Fx might not reveal itself on X ray. Non-displaced Fx's are often difficult to discern.In many cases including yours an MRI or even CT are indicated. Hope you start seeing improvement soon.

  • melissa91009
    melissa91009 albert82870

    Posted

    imageI have a huge bone spur at the front of my ankle. It's the lump. An xray showed a few minor issues but no bone spur. A few months later, I pushed for an MRI. It shows the bone spur in growing upwards. Between my ankle into my calf bone. It's agony. I also have 3 effusions, a fracture, moderate degeneration and instability. My ankle is a mess. I can't weight bear on it due to the pain. My foot swells and goes red to purple. It's agony. I have 24/7 7-8/10 pain. I have to be in a moon boot as if it is off, my foot drops forward, I can't move due to nerve pain and the bone spur becomes excruciating.

    The MRI showed major problems but the xray showed the degeneration and query fracture which the MRI confirmed.

    Melissa

  • melissa91009
    melissa91009 albert82870

    Posted

    image. It's hard to see, it the lump between my ankle and calf. Doesn't matter if you can't see it.

  • melissa91009
    melissa91009 albert82870

    Posted

    imageimage

    • melissa91009
      melissa91009

      Posted

      Above is my gigantic bursa that needs to be operated on(URGENTLY.. I'M IN AGONY), before my crumby ankle.

      As you can see, the xray shows generally injuries and osteoporosis. Screws are from ankle instability. I can't weight bear due a fracture, 3 effusions, the large bone spur, the middle joints and ankle joint deterioration, and various other issues. These extra issues were picked up in the MRI. The ankle xray looks generally unhealthy but is not specific enough. Below is my comparison right foot.image

  • albert82870
    albert82870

    Posted

    my bump, which is bony to the feel, is on my right foot , a little off to the heel and left ankle bone. a bone specialist did an Xray and diagnosed it as bone spur. went to a second doctor and they recommended an MRI. am waiting for the result

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