Bone Scan Procedures

A bone scan is a procedure that checks for bone growth or breakdown. It is used to evaluate damage, to detect bone cancer, and/or to monitor infection or damaged bones. It is a very painless procedure that can be done on the entire body or simply one area.

Considerations

• A bone scan is a nuclear imaging test and poses no greater risk than conventional X-rays. There is very little radiation exposure from the tracers used.

Preparation

• There are no special preparations needed to prepare for a bone scan. A person may eat or drink beforehand.

The Injections

• A patient will receive an injection into a vein in his arm. The doctor may want pictures immediately or the patient will wait between 2 to 4 hours for the tracers to travel throughout the body. The patient can often leave during this time and then return when scheduled.

The Scan

• For the scan, the patients lies flat and still on a table while the machine with an arm-like device travels back and forth over the body. The machine contains a gamma camera that captures the images.

Time Frame

• A full body scan can take up to 60 minutes. Partial scans take much less time.

Three Phase Scan

• A doctor may ask for a three phase scan. This involves taking pictures at different times and intervals. When a scan is finished the patient is advised to drink plenty of fluids. The tracers do not stay active or in the body long, but fluids will speed up their departure.