Bone scanning in lumbar disc herniation.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Prolapsed lumbar discs present diagnostic challenges.
• Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of 99m technetium methylene diphosphate (99mTc-MDP) scintigraphy for diagnosing prolapsed lumbar discs.
• To explore the potential of 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy in differential diagnosis of spinal conditions.

Main Methods:

• Whole body scanning and linear multiplane tomoscanning with 99mTc-MDP were performed on 10 patients with suspected prolapsed discs.
• Diagnosis was confirmed by amipaque myelography and surgical verification in most cases.

Main Results:

• No focal accumulation of radioactivity was observed in the bony structures of the affected lumbar segments in any of the 10 patients.
• 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy proved useful in the differential diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis and discitis.

Conclusions:

• 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy is not a reliable method for diagnosing prolapsed lumbar discs.
• 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy demonstrates value in differentiating inflammatory spinal conditions like ankylosing spondylitis and discitis.