Nuclear Scintigraphy or “bone scanning” offers high sensitivity for detecting early bone disease and it is an ideal tool for diagnosing difficult or multi-factorial lameness. Your horse will need to go to Southern California Equine Foundation Inc. Nuclear Medicine Facility at the Santa Anita Racetrack.
To begin the procedure, the horse is catheterized and injected with a radioactive isotope (Technetium). This aggregates in areas of bone remodeling (due to binding the Tc to Phosphorous, which bones need to make new cells). A specialized Gamma camera detects the gamma rays emitted by the radioactive isotope. The Gamma camera is on a crane and can move all around the horse. This allows for the evaluation the entire equine skeleton or just a specific region. A computer then takes the information from the Gamma camera and generates an image of the horse’s bones. From the areas of increased isotope activity, or “Hot Spots,” we can see which areas are currently undergoing increased bone remodeling (this can include growth plates, bone infection, fractures, stress fractures or trauma).
Nuclear Scintigraphy is more sensitive than radiographs in detecting lameness related to bone inflammation, as it allows us to see on a cellular level where the body is trying to “fix” itself. Once these “Hot Spots” identify where the problem is, then we can follow up with X-rays or Ultrasound to clearly identify what the problem is.
Your horse is given a standing sedation only for this procedure, and it takes approximately one to two hours to obtain all the images needed. Due to the radiation involved, albeit minimal, your horse will need to stay overnight in the facility before being released back home.
