title: Cost-appropriateness of whole body vs limited bone imaging for suspected focal sports injuries.
abstract: Bone imaging has been recognized as a useful diagnostic tool in detecting the presence of focal musculoskeletal injury when radiographs are normal. A retrospective review of bone images in a small number of amateur athletes indicates that secondary injuries were commonly detected at sites different from the site of musculoskeletal pain being evaluated for injury. While a larger study will be necessary to confirm the data, this review suggests that it is medically justified and cost-appropriate to perform imaging of the entire skeleton as opposed to imaging limited to the anatomic site of pain and suspected injury.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013177:Sports; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
chemical_list: D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate