The use of 18F-fluoride and 18F-FDG PET scans to assess fracture healing in a rat femur model

Currently available diagnostic techniques can be unreliable in the diagnosis ofdelayed fracture healing in certain clinical situations, which can lead to increased complication rates and costs to the health care system. This study sought to determine the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning with 18F-fluoride ion, which localizes in regions of high osteoblastic activity, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), an indicator of cellular glucose metabolism, in assessing bone healing in a rat femur fracture model