A full exam could take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour and a half. The length of the exam depends on the area being tested. The presence of metal objects may affect the picture. Please be sure to inform the technologist or the radiologist if you have had any metal objects within in your body, such as pacemakers, aneurysm clips, or a prosthesis . Bone Scan Bone scans are used to detect diseases of the bone at the earliest possible time.
Bone scans are often more sensitive than x-rays in diagnosing infections, tumors, and fractures.
You will receive an injection of a radioactive substance in a vein in your arm. This material travels through the bloodstream, into the soft tissue, eventually localizing in the bones. You will not feel anything from this injection. We may take some images during the injection to evaluate the blood flow to a particular area where you may be having pain. The bone scan itself will be done three hours after injection.