[Scintigraphically demonstrable bone contusions as a cause of aseptic bone necrosis].

The author refers to a group of 13 adult patients, who suffered trauma to the upper or lower extremities. Longstanding pain for weeks and months, but no positive x-ray or laboratory-findings were able to explain the complaints. Only by bone scan a constant elevated uptake was demonstrable. The author used the name "bone contusion" for this phenomenon. The scan was the most sensitive procedure to document sequels of trauma. It is recommended to use bone scan in longstanding symptomatology with negative x-ray findings after trauma and in patients who developed avascular necrosis. This may proof a relation between trauma and avascular necrosis.