Skeletal scintigraphy (bone scan) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique of the bone. It helps to diagnose and evaluate a variety of bone diseases and conditions, including cancer of the bone or metastasis, location of bone inflammation and fractures (that may not be visible in traditional X-ray images), and bone infection (osteomyelitis), using small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers that are injected into the bloodstream. The radiotracer travels through the area being examined and gives off radiation in the form of gamma rays which are detected by a special gamma camera and a computer to create images of your bones.
