Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bone scan
Bone imaging is a study to visually detect bone abnormalities. Such imaging studies include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT) and especially nuclear medicine. In the latter case the patient is injected with a small amount of radioactive material such as 600 MBq of technetium-99m-MDP and then scanned with a Gamma camera, a device sensitive to the radiation emitted by the injected material.
About half of the radioactive material is localized by the bones. The more active the bone turnover, the more radioactive material will be seen. Some tumors, fractures and infections show up as areas of increased uptake. Others can cause decreased uptake of radioactive material.
About half of the radioactive material leaves the body through the kidneys and bladder in urine.
The period from injection to completion can last over 4 hours. Actual images are taken for about 30 to 70 minutes. Sometimes late images are taken at 24 hours after injection.
Pregnant patients should consult with a physician before consenting to radioactive injections.
Related Stories
1
2
Health & Medicine News
May 29, 2026
May 29, 2026 Scientists at Stanford may have uncovered a hidden reason our brains decline with age. Studying the ultra-short-lived turquoise killifish, researchers discovered that the cellular machinery responsible for building proteins begins to jam and ...
May 29, 2026 Using cannabis edibles and alcohol together may make drivers far more impaired than either substance alone, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. Even more concerning, common field sobriety tests often failed to detect the cannabis-related ...
May 29, 2026 A sweeping global study found that chronic kidney disease now affects nearly 800 million people and has become one of the world's leading causes of death. Often silent in its early stages, the condition is also a major contributor to heart disease ...
May 28, 2026 Feeling constantly drained might not just be about poor sleep or working too hard. Researchers in Japan found that low levels of key vitamins — especially vitamin B12 and folate — may quietly contribute to fatigue and lack of motivation, even in ...
May 28, 2026 Cambridge researchers created miniature brain-and-spinal-cord systems in the lab that can send signals and even trigger tiny muscle contractions. They discovered that human neurons gradually lose their ability to regrow after damage during ...
May 28, 2026 CBD may be doing far more than just easing pain or anxiety — new research suggests it could help fight Alzheimer’s disease by calming the brain’s runaway immune response. In experiments using Alzheimer’s mice, scientists found that inhaled ...
May 28, 2026 Researchers are developing a futuristic alternative to LASIK that reshapes the eye without lasers or incisions. Using mild electrical pulses and platinum contact lenses, they temporarily soften the cornea so it can be molded into a new shape. Early ...
May 28, 2026 A newly identified protein called GPNMB may play a major role in helping Parkinson’s disease spread through the brain. Researchers discovered that immune cells release the protein in response to ...
May 28, 2026 A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Instead, the most severe long COVID symptoms ...
May 28, 2026 A surprising new approach to depression treatment is showing early promise — not by targeting brain chemicals, but by calming the immune system. In a small clinical trial, researchers found that an anti-inflammatory drug normally used for ...
May 28, 2026 When the body runs low on protein, the gut sends powerful signals to the brain that reshape cravings and push animals to seek essential amino acids instead of sugar. Researchers say this newly discovered gut-brain network could transform our ...
May 27, 2026 Scientists at UC San Diego have unveiled a potentially game-changing treatment for MASH, a severe fatty liver disease affecting millions worldwide. The experimental drug, ION224, blocks a liver enzyme that drives fat buildup and inflammation, two ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
May 27, 2026 A drug combo widely explored for anti-aging may actually damage the brain, according to new mouse research showing severe loss of myelin and changes linked to “chemo brain.” Surprisingly, the ...
May 27, 2026 A new experimental treatment could finally offer hope for millions of people with dry age-related macular degeneration — one of the leading causes of blindness in older adults. Researchers at Aalto ...
May 27, 2026 Researchers found that drinking guava juice may significantly improve anemia by helping the body absorb iron more efficiently. In a review of 17 studies, women and teenage girls who consumed guava ...
May 27, 2026 Vitamin B12 has long been seen as a health hero, helping the body make red blood cells, repair DNA, and keep nerves functioning properly. But scientists are discovering that the story may be more ...
May 27, 2026 Scientists in Japan have created powerful new vitamin K-based compounds that may help the brain regenerate lost neurons — a breakthrough that could one day change how diseases like Alzheimer’s ...
May 26, 2026 Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and ...
May 26, 2026 USC researchers have identified potential new drug compounds that may reduce the brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer’s disease, especially in ...
May 26, 2026 Eating more beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and other soy foods could be a surprisingly powerful way to fight high blood pressure. A major analysis ...
May 25, 2026 New NIH research reveals that semaglutide sparks different responses inside appetite-controlling brain cells, offering fresh insight into why GLP-1 weight-loss drugs don’t work the same for ...
May 25, 2026 A massive international study could upend 40 years of heart attack treatment. Researchers found that beta blockers—routinely prescribed after ...