Im having lateral release surgery on my knee. there has been no mri or xray, should i be concerned by that?

Yes: You should be concerned. Lateral release is done for a very specific reason for patella symptoms. There should be at least a x-ray or ct scan done to evaluate patella alignment. Also, an MRI may show articulate cartilage damage which may affect the outcome of the surgery.

Yes and no.: While it is true that some experienced Doctors can diagnose patello-femoral disease with a good physical examination, most agree that imaging to confirm the physical findings would be prudent. In addition, lateral release surgery should be done as a last resort after all other therapies such as medication, exercise, physical therapy and others have been tried and have proven to be unsuccessful.