technetium-tc-99m-medronate and Colles--Fracture

Forty patients with Sudeck's atrophy were assessed in order to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of x-ray, scintigraphy and telethermography in staging the 3 phases of the disease. The dynamic and early static phases of scintigraphy were the most sensitive and specific instrumental tests for detecting the early stage, whereas telethermography was fairly sensitive but not very specific. Radiographic examination was not sensitive in detecting slight changes in bone density, but it was the most reliable index for recognizing the transition to stage II of the disease. Moreover, it was possible to confirm that the late static phase of scintigraphy is the index which is best related to bone metabolism.

Topics: Adult; Alkaline Phosphatase; Calcium; Colles' Fracture; Diagnostic Imaging; Female; Humans; Hydroxyproline; Male; Phosphates; Radionuclide Imaging; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Thermography

This randomized, controlled study was performed to evaluate how electromagnetic fields affect the accumulation of 99mTechnetium - methylendiphosphonate (Tc-MDP) in fresh fractures. Thirty women with Colles' fractures, aged 50-70 years, participated in this study--some in a control group and some in a treated group. After reduction, all patients were immobilized for four weeks. After randomization, 15 patients were treated by electromagnetic fields of extremely low frequency (EMF of ELF ), which were generated by a coil and a battery-powered portable current generator during the time of immobilization. The frequency of the alternating magnetic field was 1-1000 Hz; the magnitude was 4 gauss [RMS (root-mean-square) value]. The scintigrams were performed one, two, four, and eight weeks after the injury. The activity ratio in the fracture area was significantly higher at the examination of one and two weeks (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.01) in the treated group than it was in the control group. The clinical relevance of the results is not known, but one interpretation of the data is that the stimulation with EMF of ELF improves (accelerates) the early phase of fracture healing. The data warrant further investigation of fresh fracture treatment with this method.

Topics: Aged; Colles' Fracture; Diphosphonates; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Humans; Magnetic Field Therapy; Middle Aged; Radius Fractures; Random Allocation; Technetium; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Wound Healing

Serial bone scannings with 99-M-Tc-MDP have been performed in 15 patients with an extra-articular dorsal-angulated fracture of the distal radius (Colles' fracture). A method for the quantification of healing activity is described. The activity-ratios show a typical pattern of progress during the healing period. There is a correlation between fractures with high activity ratios late in the healing period and fractures that redisplace during the healing period.

Topics: Aged; Colles' Fracture; Computers; Diphosphonates; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Radionuclide Imaging; Radius Fractures; Technetium; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Time Factors; Wound Healing