Technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate scanning in Thompson hemiarthroplasties

Fourteen patients who had had Thompson hemiarthroplasties at least ten months previously were scanned using 555 MBq (15mCi) 99Tcm methylene diphosphonate. No hips were infected, the control group of eight firmly fixed prostheses showed a weak diffuse uptake pattern whilst five of six patients with loose prostheses showed a characteristic focal distribution of increased uptake.