A comparison of skeletal uptakes of three diphosphonates by whole-body retention: concise communication

Twenty normal volunteers had measurements of 24-hr whole-body retention (WBR) of three structurally related Tc-99m-labeled phosphonate skeletal imaging agents: (1-hydroxyethylidene) diphosphonate (HEDP), methylene diphosphonate (MDP), and hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (HMDP). The average WBR values, reflecting skeletal uptake, were 18.4, 30.3, and 36.6%, respectively. These results clearly illustrate that slight alterations in diphosphonate molecular structure have a significant effect upon specificity for osseous tissue, and thus may affect skeletal image quality and the usefulness of the WBR technique in diagnosing metabolic bone disease.