Early scintographic diagnosis of bone stress and fractures in athletic adolescents.

A study of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in adolescents was conducted to evaluate the pattern of stress-related abnormalities and their correlation with both symptoms and roentgenography. In 26 episodes of stress-related abnormal scintigraphy, 12 (46%) had a multifocal pattern of abnormalities. Forty foci were identified by scintigraphy, with 11 (28%) exhibiting abnormal roentgenograms. These multiple abnormalities were frequently unsuspected clinically, and studies limited to symptomatic areas would have failed to detect them. It is recommended that patients with stress-related symptoms be screened utilizing radionuclide bone scintigraphy to facilitate the early detection of abnormalities in bone prior to the development of cortical disruption, thereby preventing increased morbidity and possible disabling sequelae.