The Bone Scan
Section snippets
Physiology
The skeleton is a living, active organ that changes during the normal physiological process of growth and remodeling and in response to pathologic processes.5 Bone is constantly changing, with an ongoing level of bone resorption (osteoclastic) and bone formation (osteoblastic). Osteoblasts form an osteoid matrix that is later mineralized with hydroxyapatite crystals. 99m-Tc diphosphonates chemisorb6 and bind to the hydroxyapatite crystals in proportion to local blood flow and osteoblastic
Planar Bone Imaging
Bone scans have stood the test of time. After myocardial perfusion studies, they are the second most commonly performed nuclear procedure in the United States. A recent survey showed that the bone scan was the most commonly performed hospital-based procedure, emphasizing its continued importance.13 Planar imaging is the cornerstone for all indications for bone scans by offering the advantage of total body examination, low cost, and a high degree of sensitivity. Even with the availability of
Conclusions
The power of bone imaging lies in the physiological uptake and pathophysiologic behavior of 99 m-Tc diphosphonates. Its clinical utility, sensitivity and specificity was established based on planar imaging data. Planar bone imaging data are often sufficient for diagnosis and may be enhanced by SPECT. New imaging modalities, including 18F-FDG-PET, CT and MR are complementary to 99 -m-Tc bone imaging. 18F-FDG-PET and 99m-Tc bone imaging reflect different biological processes (FDG uptake by tumor
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