A bone scan is a radionuclide imaging test that identifies areas of fracture, infection or new growth in bone.

A number of injuries, painful conditions and diseases may be detected with a bone scan, including most fractures, cancer, arthritis, osteomyelitis (bone infection), shin splints and Paget’s disease, in which bone breakdown occurs more quickly than normal and grows back abnormally.

Bone scans may identify some problems days, months or even years before they might be detected with an x-ray.

Bone scans are performed by injecting small amounts of a radioactive substance called a tracer into the body through a vein in an extremity. The tracer travels throughout the bloodstream and into the bones.  A device called a gamma camera detects radioactivity and is used to produce images of the bones. The procedure is not painful except for the brief discomfort of the injection.

This radioactive substance accumulates in areas of excessive bone activity, called hot spots. Areas where there are less radioactive substances present are called cold spots. The presence of hot or cold spots may indicate problems, such as trauma, infections or cancer. Further tests may be required to correctly identify the cause of abnormal bone activity identified by a bone scan.