Learn the key differences between normal and abnormal knee X-rays, including signs of injury, arthritis, and bone alignment issues. Normal AP and lateral knee radiographs in an adult male for reference. There mild or borderline patella alta. Nice example of the normal fat within the supra-patella recess region without a joint effusion evident. Normal pre-patella soft-tissue a... Learn how to distinguish between a normal and a bad knee X-ray and what they reveal about your knee health. A normal X-ray shows well-aligned bones, clear joint space, and no signs of injury or disease, while a bad X-ray may indicate arthritis, fractures, or other pathologies. See the X-ray/CT technique course for more information on X-ray densities. On a normal knee image, the femoral condyles are superimposed, but seeing the lateral condyle is smaller than the medial, a good lateral image will show that the front of the medial condyle projects before the front of the lateral condyle.
