How does an arthritis specfialist use a bone scan?

Diagnosis: A bones scan is used to diagnose and monitor diseases of the bone. It can help diagnose unexplained bone pain from bone loss, infection, or injury. It can also be used to detect cancer ty sitehat has spread from another primary site, such as breast cancer.

Various ways: The bone scan can image inflammation and monitor response to therapy. The bone scan used may actually be a "dexa" scan in which the rheumatologist is looking for osteoporosis. The bone scan also might be used to evaluate whether pain in the back is due to a compression fracture, muscle pain, or bony metastatic disease.

Several reasons: Not everything that causes symptoms similar to arthritis is actually arthritis. Most helpful bone scan is two phases, early soft tissue and delayed bone. Soft tissue of joints can show which joints are hyperemic or active. Delayed images may be normal. Multifocal osteomyelitis(crmo), metastatic disease, osteorotic bone with fractures, etc. Are causes. Bone scan can rule out mimicers of arthritis.