Stress injuries of the pars interarticularis: Radiologic classification and indications for radionuclide imaging

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6780939

Pennell, R; Maurer, A R; Bonakdarpour, A

Lumbar spine radiographs and radionuclide images were compared and correlated with clinical histories of 20 athletes with low back pain. Radiographs were classified as: Normal (Type 0); showing a healing stress fracture (an irregular lucent line) with sclerosis (Type I); as an evolving or healed stress injury with either sclerosis, narrowing, or demineralization (Type II); and as a chronic fracture showing a large lucency with well-defined margins classically referred to as spondylolysis (Type III). Patients were grouped clinically on the basis of their pain: acute onset (Group A, n = 7), acute superimposed on chronic (Group B, n = 9), and chronic pain without an acute event (Group C, n = 4). Radiographic abnormalities were present in 95% (19/20) of the patients and radionuclide studies were positive in 60% (12/20). Scintigraphy was positive most often with Type I pars abnormalities (77%, 10/13) and negative most often with Type III abnormalities (91%, 11/12). Of all positive scintigraphy 12/14 (86%) were in pts in Groups A and B (acute symptoms). The authors' findings support theories that radiographic pars abnormalities exist which correspond to stages in the healing of stress induced fractures. With acute symptoms radionuclide imaging need not be obtained if a Type I radiographic abnormality is seen. Radionuclide imaging is indicated with either Type 0, II or III radiographs to confirm or rule out recent stress injury.

• Research Organization: Temple Univ. Health Sciences Center, Philadelphia, PA
• OSTI ID: 6780939
• Report Number(s): CONF-840619-
• Journal Information: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 31. annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 5 Jun 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BONE FRACTURES
DIAGNOSIS
VERTEBRAE
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
SCINTISCANNING
HEALING
IMAGE PROCESSING
PAIN
PATIENTS
SYMPTOMS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
INJURIES
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOLOGY
RECOVERY
SKELETON
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)