A wrist X-ray is a safe and painless test that uses a small
amount of radiation to make an image of a person's wrist. During
the examination, an X-ray machine sends a beam of radiation
through the wrist, and an image is recorded on special X-ray
film or a computer screen. This image shows the soft tissues and
the ends of the forearm bones (radius and ulna) and eight small
wrist bones (carpal bones). The X-ray image is black and white.
Dense structures that block the passage of the X-ray beam
through the body, such as the bones, appear white on the image.
Softer body tissues, such as the skin and muscles, allow the
X-ray beams to pass through them and appear darker. An X-ray
technician in the radiology department of a hospital or in a
health care provider's office takes the X-rays. Two different
pictures are usually taken of the wrist: one from the back, with
the palm facing down (posteroanterior view, or PA), and one from
the side (lateral view). Sometimes an X-ray is taken with the
wrist at an angle (oblique