Patients who had X - rays at Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic before 2008 are being urged to keep an eye on their bank statements and credit reports after 17,300 sets of X - rays vanished . A company the practice hired in January to convert X - ray films to electronic files never returned the materials , according to a letter sent to clinic patients . Instead , the X - rays are thought to have been resold for the value of the silver they contain , said Constance Scott , the clinic ’s security officer . ;