You’re playing in a weekend pickup game, and you land wrong on your ankle. Is it a sprain or something worse? Falling while playing football, soccer, and other outdoor sports increases your risk of injury. An injury can leave you wondering whether it’s a sprain or a break. But you won’t have to wonder. An X-ray helps the doctor see what’s wrong so they can treat it properly.

Key Takeaways

• Sprains and fractures can feel similar at first, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty moving.
• An X-ray is the best way to check if a bone is broken.
• Digital X-rays at A.T. Radiology use low radiation and provide clear images for your doctor to review quickly.
• Getting the right diagnosis early helps prevent further injury and supports proper healing.

Why Sprains and Fractures Can Feel the Same

A sprain is damage to ligaments, usually caused by overstretching, most often at joints like the ankle, wrist, or knee.

A fracture is a break in a bone; it can be partial or complete. Both injuries cause pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of function at the injured site, which makes them difficult to distinguish.

How X-Ray Helps Your Doctor Know for Sure

X-ray allows the doctor to capture a detailed image of the body part using radiation. The images generated can help the doctor determine whether there is a fracture. If there is a fracture, the doctor can see a dark line or gap in the bone on the image. If the images are normal, the patient likely has a soft tissue injury.

A fracture may need a cast or surgery. A sprain usually does not.

What to Expect During Your X-ray

Getting an X-ray is a quick and simple procedure. You will be asked to stand or sit in different positions so that the technologist can take pictures of the injured area from multiple angles. No special preparation is required for this test, and the procedure takes only a few minutes. A.T. Radiology uses state-of-the-art digital X-ray technology to produce top-quality diagnostic images with less radiation than traditional methods

When to See a Doctor for an Injury

Seek medical attention if you are experiencing excruciating pain, visible deformity, a popping sound at the time of injury, inability to bear weight, or inability to move the injured part.

Even if you think it may be a minor injury, getting an X-ray can help to rule out any fractures

FAQ

If I can still move it, does that mean it’s not broken?

No, this is a misconception. Some fractures don’t affect mobility, so the fact that it can move doesn’t rule out a fracture. To determine this, an X-ray is necessary.

Will the X-ray show a sprain?

X-rays can confirm a fracture diagnosis; however, not all fractures show up on an X-ray, so an MRI may be needed to evaluate the ligaments further.

Does it hurt more when it’s broken than when it’s sprained?

This is not necessarily true, since the pain is subjective and varies from case to case. These two problems can often be confused because the symptoms are similar, but the cause of the pain can be different, which an X-ray can reveal.

How long does it take for a sprain or fracture to heal?

A mild sprain often heals in one to three weeks, while a fracture can take six to eight weeks or longer, depending on the bone and severity. Your doctor will give you a timeline based on your specific injury.

How long does it take to get X-ray results?

Your doctor can often review the images the same day. A radiologist usually provides a full report within 24 hours.

Our imaging services include: 3D Mammogram, Ultrasounds, Sonograms, X-Rays, MRI Scans, 3D Sonogram, Echocardiograms, Prostate MRI, Bone Density Scan, Arthrograms, CT Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screening, Lung Cancer Screening, CT Scan, and OB Ultrasound.