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X-Ray Exam: Pelvis

Medically reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD

What's an X-Ray?

An X-ray is a safe and painless test that uses a small amount of radiation to make an image of bones, organs, and other parts of the body.

The X-ray image is black and white. Dense body parts, such as bones, block the passage of the X-ray beam through the body. These look white on the X-ray image. Softer body tissues, such as the skin and muscles, allow the X-ray beams to pass through them. They look darker on the image.

X-rays are commonly done in doctors’ offices, radiology departments, imaging centers, and dentists’ offices.

What's a Pelvis X-Ray?

In a pelvis X-ray, an X-ray machine sends a beam of radiation through the pelvic bones, which surround the hip area, and an image is recorded on special film or a computer. This image shows the bones, which include the two hip bones, and the sacrum and the coccyx (tailbone).