Značenje kvantitativnog scintigrama kosti u prognostici zaraštanja prijeloma

Studies of fracture healing are aimed at differentiating normal from delayed bone union. Delayed union, nonunion with the development of pseudarthrosis, and infection are complications of fracture healing. In the present study, quantitative analysis by three-phase bone scintigraphy was evaluated in the early prognosis of the course of fracture healing, to assess its potential in the early detection and therapy of healing complications. In 105 patients with long bone fractures, three-phase bone scintigraphy was performed early (day 4-7), and 3 weeks, 3 months and 6 months of injury. Based on clinical, laboratory and radiological findings, patients were retrospectively divided into four groups of normal healing, pseudarthrosis, delayed union, and healing with infection. The region of interest method was used to analyze all three scintigraphy phases, i.e. perfusion, vascular space image, and static scintigram at 3 h of injection. Comparison of impulse count in the fracture area with the contralateral, intact side produced a relative index for each step of three-phase scintigraphy. Infection at the fracture site can be suspected on the basis of perfusion index in the earliest stages following injury. Delayed bone union can also be predicted very early, within three weeks of injury, by use of perfusion index. Quantitative analysis of the vascular space phase and late static scintigrams can contribute to the diagnosis of complications, however, only in later stages of disease, which in part limits their clinical relevance. Three-phase bone scintigraphy is a valuable study when expecting problems in the process of bone union.Ispitivanje zarastanja prijeloma ima za cilj razlikovanje normalnog od usporenog zarastanja kosti. Odloženo zarastanje, nezarastanje s razvojem pseudoartroze te infekcija komplikacije su zarastanja prijeloma. S ciljem što ranijeg otkrivanja, a time i ranije terapije komplikacija, željeli smo ispitati mogućnosti kvantitativne analize troetapne scintigrafije kosti u ranoj prognozi tijeka zarastanja prijeloma. U 105 ispitanika s prijelomima dugih kostiju učinjena je troetapna scintigrafija kosti neposredno nakon traume (4.-7. dan nakon traume), te 3 tjedna, 3 i 6 mjeseci nakon traume. Ispitanici su na osnovi kliničkih, laboratorijskih i radioloških nalaza retrospektivno podijeljeni u četiri skupine: normalno zarastanje, pseudoartroza, odloženo zarastanje i zarastanje uz infekciju. Metodom regije interesa (ROI) analizirali smo sve tri faze scintigrama: perfuziju, snimku vaskularnih prostora, te statički scintigram 3 sata nakon injiciranja. Uspoređujući broj impulsa područja frakture s kontralateralnom, zdravom stranom dobili smo relativne indekse (RI) za svaku fazu troetapne scintigrafije. U najranijim stadijima nakon povrede moguće je, na temelju indeksa perfuzije, posumnjati na infekciju na mjestu frakture. Odloženo zarastanje također se može predskazati indeksom perfuzije vrlo rano, unutar tri tjedna od prijeloma. Kvantitativna analiza faze vaskularih prostora i kasnih statičkih scintigrama može doprinijeti dijagnostici komplikacija, ali u kasnim fazama bolesti, što donekle umanjuje njihovo kliničko značenje. Troetapna scintigrafija kosti vrijedna je pretraga u slučajevima kada se očekuju problemi zarastanja kosti