Abstract

Nuclear Medicine in Sports Medicine

Author(s): Margarita Pagou & Vasileios Poulantzas

Nuclear medicine imaging has applications in the diagnosis and monitoring of bony and soft tissue sports related injuries. Skeletal scintigraphy may localize traumatic disorders. Dynamic studies show changes in many conditions such as bone stress, fracture, periosteal reaction, osteochondritis dissecans, enthesopathy, osteonecrosis, complex regional pain syndrome, degenerative change. Special views can be used in fracture, periosteal reaction, osteochondritis dissecans, enthesopathy and abnormalities in the spine. Magnification techniques have also been described. Pinhole imaging can detect fracture, osteonecrosis, impingement syndromes. SPECT imaging may give valuable information in the detection of fracture, avulsion injury, joint injuries, osteonecrosis, back pain and rhabdomyolysis. SPECT/CT allows detection of osteochondritis dissecans, enthesopathy, joint injuries, impingement syndromes and abnormalities in the spine. Lymphoscintigraphy is a diagnostic tool. There is interest in PET studies at traumatic brain injury and at the neurotransmitter level. PET/CT can be useful in selected athletic injuries.