[Potentials of complex radionuclide study of the joints in the diagnosis of osteoarthrosis]

The possibilities of the complex radionucleid joint investigations in the diagnosis of ostheoarthrosis are discussed. The investigation covered 104 patients with osteoarthrosis, aged 471 +/- 2.0 and 22 control subjects, aged 43.9 +/- 3.1. The time for half-elimination of 133Xenon injected in the knee joint is 154.8 minutes for the healthy subjects and 122.2 minutes for those suspected of narrowing of the joint cavity resp., 105.4 minutes for the patients with II X-ray stage and 77.7 minutes for III-IV X-ray stage of osteoporosis. The accumulation of 99MTc-pertechnetate is 115.3 per cent for the control group and 134.9 per cent, 127.7 per cent and 143.0 per cent for the patients with I, II and III-IV X-ray stage of osteoarthrosis. The accumulation of 99MTc-pyrophosphate is 115.7 per cent in the sound joints and 144.8 per cent; 158.1 per cent and 170.7 per cent resp., according to X-ray stage of the diseases. With the progress of bonetissue destruction the effektiveness of Xenon clearance is improved as well as of 99MTc-pyrophosphate in the joints investigated. High reactivity of joint structure (synovial membrane and bone epiphysis) was established in the early and late stages of osteoarthrosis. The radionucleid constellation of an intensified joint clearance, high pyrophosphate test and light fluctuating pertechnetate joint index are indicative for a diagnostic test of the disease prior to the manifestation of confirmed X-ray data. Catabolic osseous destruction is coordinated, according to rate, with the effectiveness of the j oint 133Xenon clearance and with the accumulation of 99MTc-pyrophosphate in the joints with arthrosis alterations.