[madmmac]

I have had complex meniscus tears in both knees. One I had cleaned out by arthroscopic and the other calmed down on its own.

The x-ray provides as noted, bone spacing and/or compartment compression. It will show how much or how little cartilage you have left between your knee and leg and whether you are bone on bone. That's where I'm at, but the pain amazingly according to my Dr is not really that bad for me.

Usually when you are getting comfort from heat, it kind of points towards arthritis which is pretty common once past 50.

Good luck.