HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rosenthall, L. Articles by Raymond, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rosenthall, L. Articles by Raymond, F.

Radiophosphate Uptake in Asymptomatic Knee Arthroplasty

The Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Correspondence: For reprints contact: L Rosenthall, MD, Div. of Nuclear Medicine, The Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Ave., Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada.

ABSTRACT

The utility of radiophosphate bone scanning in the detection of complications following total knee replacement (TKR) is not yet fully established. A difficulty associated with the use of bone scanning is the persistent increased uptake seen around the prosthetic joint long after surgery, despite the absence of symptoms. In order to better characterize the time course of radiophosphate uptake, bone scans obtained 1 mo–12 yr after surgery were analyzed in 30 asymptomatic patients with 37 TKR.Uptake was graded 0–4+ in the femoral and tibial components. Scans of 18 implants were obtained 1 yr or less after surgery (Group 1), and 19 were obtained >1 yr after surgery (Group 2). Mean uptake scores were as follows: femoral component Group 1 = 3.0 ± 1.1; Group 2 = 1.8 ± 0.9 (p < 0.05); tibial component Group 1 = 3.2 ± 0.8; Group 2 = 2.6 ± 1.1 (not significant). Persistent increased uptake, particularly in the tibial component, reflects mechanical stresses peculiar to knee prostheses, and tends to undermine confidence in diagnosing loosening on the basis of a single study.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Mandalia, K. Eyres, P. Schranz, and A. D. Toms Evaluation of patients with a painful total knee replacement J Bone Joint Surg Br, March 1, 2008; 90-B(3): 265 - 271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. Palestro Nuclear Medicine, the Painful Prosthetic Joint, and Orthopedic Infection J. Nucl. Med., June 1, 2003; 44(6): 927 - 929. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Love, M. B. Tomas, S. E. Marwin, P. V. Pugliese, and C. J. Palestro Role of Nuclear Medicine in Diagnosis of the Infected Joint Replacement RadioGraphics, September 1, 2001; 21(5): 1229 - 1238. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]