Bone scintigraphy in trapeziometacarpal joint replacement.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• The typical bone scintigraphy tracer uptake patterns following trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty are not well-established.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for accurate interpretation of post-operative imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the normal evolution of bone scintigraphy tracer uptake after uncemented trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty.
• To establish a timeline for the normalization of tracer uptake in the post-operative period.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 111 patients who underwent uncemented trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty.
• Serial bone scintigraphy imaging was performed and analyzed to assess tracer uptake patterns over time.

Main Results:

• Bone scintigraphy showed variable tracer uptake in the early post-operative period.
• Normalization of tracer uptake was observed in most patients by the 2-year mark after surgery.

Conclusions:

• Post-operative bone scintigraphy tracer uptake following trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty follows a predictable pattern of normalization.
• A 2-year follow-up period is generally sufficient to expect normalized tracer uptake, aiding in the assessment of implant success.