What is the difference between a bone scan and a 3-phase bone scan?
A bone scan is a detailed, noninvasive imaging test that allows doctors to observe the inside of your bones in order to diagnose illnesses and track their progression. There are two main types of bone exams. A three-phase bone scan is a nuclear imaging test that shows how the bones process an injected agent.
What are the three phases of a bone scan?
The procedure is painless. Your health care provider might order a three-phase bone scan, which includes a series of images taken at different times. A number of images are taken as the tracer is injected, then shortly after the injection, and again 3 to 5 hours after the injection.
What is a Nm 3-phase bone scan?
A nuclear medicine triple phase bone scan is used to diagnose a fracture, hardware loosening and infection when it cannot be seen with an x-ray. This scan includes a series of images taken at different times using a GE Entegra Nuclear Medicine gamma camera.
What’s the difference between a bone scan and a bone density test?
And the denser your bones, the stronger they generally are and the less likely they are to break. Bone density tests differ from bone scans. Bone scans require an injection beforehand and are usually used to detect fractures, cancer, infections and other abnormalities in the bone.
What is the difference between a bone density scan and a DEXA scan?
A bone density scan, also known as a DEXA scan, is a type of low-dose x-ray test that measures calcium and other minerals in your bones. The measurement helps show the strength and thickness (known as bone density or mass) of your bones.
Is 3-phase bone scan of whole body?
It is common to perform a limited scan with 3-phase imaging when the clinical concern is a stress fracture or shin splints. In most cases, however, a whole-body bone scan is performed. SPECT imaging is performed primarily to help evaluate tracer uptake in the spine.
What is the difference between an MRI and a bone scan?
An MRI creates 3D images of the bone, whereas a bone scan creates two-dimensional (2D) images. The MRI provides a detailed view of the bone and its surrounding structures such as the ligaments, tendons and soft tissue. It diagnoses a bone condition more definitively and accurately than a bone scan.
What are the side effects of a bone scan?
A bone scan doesn’t cause any side effects or complications. Most of the radioactive tracer is eliminated from your body within 24 hours. Small amounts may remain for as long as three days. While the test can help identify problems in bone metabolism, it doesn’t necessarily reveal the reason for them.
What do cold spots on a bone scan mean?
An abnormal scan will show “hot spots” and/or “cold spots” as compared to surrounding bone. Hot spots are areas where there is an increased collection of the radioactive material. Cold spots are areas that have taken up less of the radioactive material.
Can bone density affect weight?
Body weight is directly associated with bone mineral density (BMD). A low body mass index (BMI) has been identified as an important risk factor for lower BMD and predicts greater bone loss in older age (118, 138) and in younger persons in the absence of menses and/or an eating disorder (113).
What is the most accurate test for bone density and how is it done?
It may be done using X-rays, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA), or a special CT scan that uses computer software to determine bone density of the hip or spine. For various reasons, the DEXA scan is considered the “gold standard” or most accurate test.
What is the best test for bone density?
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry — Experts agree that the most useful and reliable bone density test is a specialized kind of x-ray called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA. DXA provides precise measurements of bone density at important bone sites (such as the spine, hip, and forearm) with minimal radiation.
What is a three phase bone scan?
What is a Three Phase Bone Scan? A three phase bone scan is used to diagnose a fracture when it cannot be seen on an Xray. It is also used to diagnose bone infection, bone pain, osteomyelitis, as well as other bone diseases. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
What can interfere with a 3-phase bone scan?
Numerous factors can interfere with a 3-phase bone scan. If the patient has a medical condition that affects blood flow unilaterally, then the flow and blood pool phases can be adversely affected, demonstrating relatively abnormal activity to an area that may be normal for the patient.
Can a three-phase bone scan diagnose complex regional pain syndrome type 1?
Diagnostic performance of three-phase bone scan for complex regional pain syndrome type 1 with optimally modified image criteria. Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011 Dec;45(4):261-7.
What does a negative 3 phase scan mean?
[11] A 3-phase scan showing positive findings on the flow phase and the blood pool phase but negative uptake in the osseous structures is usually seen with soft tissue abnormalities, such as cellulitis or a soft tissue malignancy, such as a sarcoma.