Pelvic fractures diagnosed by bone scintigraphy in patients with normal radiographs after a fall

When elderly patients present with pain and difficulty walking after a fall, hip fracture is often suspected. If the x ray shows no abnormality early mobilisation is encouraged. When these patients continue to experience pain and are unable to walk, bone scintigraphy may reveal pelvic fractures. We present three illustrative cases and a retrospective review of 50 consecutive patients with pelvic fractures diagnosed by bone scintigraphy.