Patient education: Bone scan (The Basics)

What is a bone scan? — A bone scan is a type of imaging test (figure 1). It creates pictures of your bones.

For a bone scan, a chemical called a "radioactive tracer" is injected into 1 of your veins. It travels through your bloodstream and is absorbed by your bones. Then, a scanner with a special camera takes pictures. This lets the doctor look at your bones and how they have absorbed the tracer.

If the scan shows "hot spots," these are areas where the tracer built up more in part of a bone. They can be a sign of injury, damage, or other changes.

A bone scan can be used to check for problems like:

●Arthritis

●Fractures or other injuries that can't be seen on X-ray

●Bones that are weaker than normal

●Infection in a bone

●Cancer of the bones

●Hardware loosening or infection

●Other problems that could be causing pain or other symptoms

How do I prepare for a bone scan? — The doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to do anything special to prepare.

They will also ask you about your "health history." This involves asking you questions about any health problems you have or had in the past, past surgeries, and any medicines you take. Tell them about:

●Any medicines you are taking – This includes any prescription or "over-the-counter" medicines you use, plus any herbal supplements you take. It helps to write down and bring a list of any medicines you take, or bring a bag with all of your medicines with you.

You might be asked to avoid taking any medicines containing something called "bismuth," such as Pepto-Bismol, for a few days before your bone scan. That's because this type of medicine can show up on the scan. You might also be asked if you have had any recent "barium contrast." Barium is a substance you swallow for certain imaging tests.

●Any allergies you have

●Any other scans that are scheduled around the same time as your bone scan

●Whether you are pregnant, could be pregnant, or are breastfeeding – Bone scans are usually not done during pregnancy, because they are not safe for a developing baby.

If you are breastfeeding, you can get a bone scan if needed. But your doctor might tell you to temporarily stop breastfeeding. During this time, you can pump and discard the milk.

Ask the doctor or nurse if you have questions or if there is anything you do not understand.

What happens during a bone scan? — When it is time for the procedure:

●You will change into a hospital gown and remove any jewelry or other accessories.

●You will get an "IV," which is a thin tube that goes into a vein.

●The person doing the bone scan (called a "technologist") will use your IV to inject the radioactive tracer into your vein.

●You might have pictures taken right away, or you might need to wait a few hours until your bones have had time to absorb the tracer. Sometimes, pictures are taken at both times. While you are waiting, you might be asked to drink water and then empty your bladder. This is to flush out any tracer that has not been absorbed by your bones.

●For the scan, you will lie on a table. The machine with the camera will be moved around to take pictures of different bones. The machine does not touch you. The technologist will not be in the room with you while the pictures are taken, but they will be nearby and able to see you and talk to you.

●You will need to lie very still during the scan so the images are clear.

●The actual scan can take up to an hour. But the whole process can take longer, depending on how long you need to wait while your bones absorb the tracer.

What happens after a bone scan? — The medical staff will remove your IV. In most cases, you can go home right away after your bone scan.

The tracer used in a bone scan is radioactive. For the next 1 to 2 days:

●Drink plenty of water to help your body get rid of it.

●Your body will get rid of the tracer on its own through your urine.

●Because the amount of radiation is very small, you do not need to avoid being around other people.

What are the risks of a bone scan? — Your doctor will talk to you about all of the possible risks, and answer your questions. Possible risks include:

●A minor or serious allergic reaction to the tracer

●Radiation exposure – A bone scan exposes you to some radiation. In general, exposure to radiation very slightly raises your risk of developing cancer later in life. But the amount of radiation in a bone scan is very small. The overall risk increases if you have to get many imaging tests over time.

What else should I know? — You might get your results the same day, or it might take a few days or weeks for them to be read by an expert. Your doctor or nurse will let you know when to expect your results.

If your bone scan shows any abnormal results, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do next.

More on this topic

Patient education: Fractures (The Basics)
Patient education: Osteoarthritis (The Basics)
Patient education: Osteoporosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Bone metastases (The Basics)
Patient education: Osteomyelitis in adults (The Basics)

Patient education: Osteoarthritis symptoms and diagnosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Osteoporosis prevention and treatment (Beyond the Basics)