- See:
Radioisotope Scanning:
- Indications:
- to rule out another lesion, such as
osteoid-osteoma,
infection, or malignant disease;
- w/ clinically suspected spondylolysis that but cannot be confirmed w/ x-rays;
- for detection of small or partial fractures & areas of increased bone turnover at site of a healing fracture;
- bone scans will be positive in patients who have had symptoms for only five to seven days;
- there is a stress-reaction stage before fracture which may be detected initially by radioactive bone-scanning;
- to distinguish between patients w/ established non-union versus patients
w/ slowly healing frx (who would benefit from immobilization);
- to assess recovery from frx and to determine when athlete can return to competition;
- bone scans allow an assessment of the acuity of the lesion, with increased uptake seen with acute lesions;
- Contra-indications:
- patients who have had symptoms for > 1 year or those who are asymptomatic;
- bone scans are not indicated once the lesion has become established;
Significance of bone scintigraphy in symptomatic spondylolysis.
Bone scintigraphy in symptomatic spondylolysis.
Bone scintigraphy in the assessment of spondylolysis in patients attending a sports injury clinic.
