THE DIAGNOSTIC ROLE OF BONE SCAN IN PATIENTS WITH TRIANGULAR FIBROCARTILAGE COMPLEX LESIONS
Aysun ÖZDEMİR1, Hakan ÖZDEMİR2, Fırat GÜNGÖR3, A Turan AYDIN2
1Antalya Devlet Hastanesi Nükleer Tıp Bölümü
2Akdeniz Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, Antalya
3Akdeniz Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nükleer Tıp Anabilim Dalı
Keywords: Bone scan, distal radius fracture, triangular fibrocartilage complex, arthrography.
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to identify the diagnostic role of bone scintigraphy in triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) lesions.
Patients and methods: For this purpose, fifteen patients (aged 28-87 years; 8 males, 7 females) who had distal radius fractures 9 of who had TFCC or TFCC + intercarpal ligament (ICL) lesions, demonstrated by arthrograpy, were included in this study. It is well known that since bone scan is positive in the early phase of the fracture, bone scans were performed all patients during the in last controls with a mean period of 60 months (ranging from 54 to 69 months) after fracture.
Results: Bone scans were normal in 6 patients (100%) who had no demonstrated abnormality by arthrography, scintigraphies were found to be abnormal (increased uptake in radioulnar or radiocarpal compartment) in 8 out of 9 patients (89%) who had TFCC or TFCC + ICL lesions in the late static images. Mechanism responsible for the increased uptake in these cases may be related to early degenerative disease due to ligamentous or cartilaginous abnormality.
Discussion: We conclude that bone scintigraphy is helpful in patients with suspected cartilaginous or ligamentous abnormalities and should be performed after standard radiography.