[Skeletal scintigraphic findings in spinal diseases]

Bone scanning and X-ray imaging are complementary diagnostic procedures providing different information on morphology and function. This is true for diseases of the spine. For further evaluation of lesions that have already been localized, bone scanning should be performed after X-ray examinations if any questions are still open (e.g., extent of disturbed bone metabolism, viability, age of a spine fracture, response to therapy). Typical scintigraphic patterns specific for few bone diseases are exceptional, being confined to Paget's diseases and degenerative changes in the cervical spine. As a first imaging modality, however, bone scanning should be employed in the follow-up of patients with malignancies and the probability of bone metastases. In a second step, bone lesions identified by scintigraphy should be checked by X-ray imaging. In this order and context, the high sensitivity of bone scanning and the high specificity of X-ray imaging optimize the accuracy of the diagnoses achieved with the different radiological modalities.