WHAT HAPPENS DURING A BONE SCAN?

A bone scan is a nuclear medicine imaging exam. It can help detect, or further examine, bone and joint problems. During a bone scan, you are injected with a small amount of a radioactive substance that attaches to the bones.

These exams are pretty common – Mayfair Diagnostics performs thousands of bone scans each year. Often, a bone scan is ordered if an X-ray is normal, yet symptoms persist or change, because it is more sensitive. A standard X-ray may be able confirm a fracture or arthritis, but a more detailed look might require a bone scan.

A bone scan is booked as a two-part appointment. The first part is usually booked in the morning and takes approximately 15 minutes. The second part occurs 2-4 hours after the first part and takes about 45-60 minutes.

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