A bone scan is a test that uses nuclear imaging to helps diagnose and track several types of bone disease. Nuclear imaging involves using small amounts of radioactive substances (radiotracers), a special camera that can detect the radioactivity and a computer to see structures such as bones inside the body.

The tracer is absorbed more by cells and tissues that are changing. As a result, a bone scan can be used to find the source of unexplained skeletal pain, a bone infection or a bone injury that can’t be seen on a standard X-ray.

A bone scan can also be an important tool for detecting cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the bone from the tumor’s original location, such as the breast or prostate.

A bone scan might help determine the cause of unexplained bone pain. The test is sensitive to differences in bone metabolism, which are highlighted in the body by the radioactive tracer. Scanning the whole skeleton helps in diagnosing a wide range of bone disorders, including:

  • Fractures
  • Arthritis
  • Paget’s disease of bone
  • Cancer originating in bone
  • Cancer that has metastasized to bone from a different site
  • Infection of the joints, joint replacements or bones

Come to Clinica Britannia for further information.