What radionuclide is used in bone scan?

A bone scan images the metabolic activity of the skeleton. This has traditionally been accomplished by imaging a radionuclide whose physiology closely mimics a metabolic process within bone. Nuclear scintigraphy of the bone commonly utilizes the radionuclides technetium-99m (Tc-99m) or fluoride-18 (F-18).

Which radioisotope is used to study bone structure and in the treatment of carcinoma of bone?

The most commonly used isotopes in treatment of painful bone metastases are strontium-89 and samarium-153.

What is the radiopharmaceutical used for bone scintigraphy?

Principle. The most common radiopharmaceutical for bone scintigraphy is 99mTc with methylene diphosphonate (MDP). Other bone radiopharmaceuticals include 99mTc with HDP, HMDP and DPD. MDP adsorbs onto the crystalline hydroxyapatite mineral of bone.

What does bone scintigraphy show?

A bone scan (skeletal scintigraphy) is a special type of nuclear medicine procedure that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and assess the severity of a variety of bone diseases and conditions, including fractures, infection, and cancer.

Why is technetium used in bone scans?

Technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) is one of the most commonly used tracers for SS and its mechanism of action involves a complex interaction of bone repair and blood flow. SS targets the bony cortex, binding to the hydroxyapetite produced when the bone attempts to repair damage caused by metastases.

What is technetium bone scan?

Bone scintigraphy (a.k.a. bone scans) is a nuclear medicine (scintigraphic) study that makes use of technetium-99m (commonly Tc-99m-methylene diphosphonate (MDP)) as the active agent. The study has three phases which follow intravenous injection of the tracer. Sometimes a fourth (delayed/delayed) phase is performed.

What does radiation treatment do to your bones?

Exposure to chemotherapy and radiation leads to bone loss and increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. A new study in mice suggests that a biological process known as cellular senescence, which can be induced by cancer treatments, may play a role in bone loss associated with chemotherapy and radiation.

How does radiotherapy help with the pain from bone metastases?

Radiation works by killing cancer cells, which makes tumors smaller. That can ease painful pressure on body parts in the area. Once radiation shrinks tumors enough, it can make other treatments, like surgery, more successful. If you have pain in your bones, radiation can help you move around easier.

Why is technetium-99m used in bone scans?

What diseases can a bone scan detect?

A bone scan can help detect the following conditions:

  • benign or cancerous bone tumors.
  • secondary (metastatic) cancer to the bone.
  • non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • tumors in the soft tissue.
  • arthritis or joint inflammation.
  • osteomalacia, or bone softening, due to vitamin D deficiency.
  • osteomyelitis, or bone infection.