JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE 7:510-520, 1966 A Study of the Metabolism of Fluorine-18 in Dogs and its Suitability for Bone Scanning1'2'3

Despite great interest in the prevention of dental caries using fluoride and the recent suggestions that fluoride may be of therapeutic value in metabolic bone disease, litfie information is available on the metabolism of fluoride. Tracer studies using radioisotopes of calcium and strontium have yielded important in formation which has given rise to some of the current theories of bone metabolism (1). Since fluoride appears to have a different relationship to the hydroxyapatite crystal than calcium or strontium (2) investigation of the behavior of the fluoride ion within the body is necessary for a more complete understanding of bone metabolism. It is the purpose of this presentation to provide information with respect to the dynamic behavior of the fluoride ion in the dog. In a brief study Blau, Nagler and Bender demonstrated that bone and bone lesions will concen trate radiofluoride (3). New data are presented below from 25 dog experiments examining ‘8Fuptake in normal and fractured bone, blood concentration, urinary excretion and tissue distribution. The suitability of ‘8Fas a bone scanning agent is also demonstrated. 1From the Departmentsof InternalMedicine (NuclearMedicine)OrthopedicSurger