Bone scanning in the multiply injured patient

Abstract

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the role of radionuclide bone scanning in the management of patients with multiple injuries. During a 7 month period, 14 patients with multiple injuries underwent a bone scan in order to identify occult skeletal injuries. All of the patients had new injuries diagnosed. The majority of new injuries occurred either in a limb in which an injury had already been diagnosed at presentation, or in the chest. Such findings are consistent with previously published data. Infrequently, there was a change in management of the patients in this series following the bone scan.