technetium-tc-99m-medronate and Back-Injuries

Muscle and soft-tissue uptake have been described numerous times in the literature in patients undergoing Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate skeletal scintigraphy following trauma. Many of these traumas range from electrical burns, intramuscular injections, sports-related trauma, and overexercising, to actual physical damage resulting in superficial bruising and skin discoloration. In this case the patient presented with continuing low back pain after falling down some stairs. Although the scan was essentially normal for bony trauma, subtle soft-tissue uptake was detected that was enhanced with the addition of single photon emission computed tomographic imaging and surface rendering.

Topics: Accidental Falls; Back Injuries; Female; Humans; Low Back Pain; Middle Aged; Radiopharmaceuticals; Soft Tissue Injuries; Spine; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Wounds, Nonpenetrating

A case of delayed posttraumatic vertebral collapse (Kummell's disease) is described and documented with serial radiographs, computed tomographic scans, and bone scans. The bone scan was normal before the back injury occurred and showed increased radionuclide uptake 3 weeks after injury and before vertebral collapse. Plain radiographs and computed tomographic scans taken during the interval between injury and collapse revealed no evidence of fracture or bone destruction. The authors believe this represents the first example of Kummell's phenomenon documented with serial computed tomographic and bone scans, and provides further support to the ischemic necrosis theory as the underlying process.

Topics: Aged; Back Injuries; Humans; Male; Radionuclide Imaging; Spinal Fractures; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Thoracic Vertebrae; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Topics: Adult; Back Injuries; Bone and Bones; Humans; Male; Muscles; Radionuclide Imaging; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Weight Lifting