title: Radionuclide imaging of the painful hip arthroplasty: positron-emission tomography versus triple-phase bone scanning.
abstract: Two major complications of hip replacement are loosening and infection. Reliable differentiation between these pathological processes is difficult since both may be accompanied by similar symptoms. Our aim was to assess the diagnostic ability of triple-phase bone scanning (TPBS) and positron-emission tomography (PET) to detect and differentiate these complications in patients with a hip arthroplasty. Both TPBS and PET were performed in 63 patients (92 prostheses). The radiotracer for PET imaging was (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Image interpretation was performed according to qualitative and quantitative criteria although the final diagnosis was based upon either surgical findings or clinical follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET was 0.94, 0.95 and 0.95 respectively, compared with 0.68, 0.76 and 0.74 for TPBS. We found that an image interpretation based exclusively upon quantitative criteria was inappropriate because of its low selectivity. The histological examination indicated that increased periprosthetic uptake of FDG in patients with aseptic loosening was caused by wear-induced polyethylene particles and the subsequent growth of aggressive granulomatous tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. preinartz@compuserve.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reinartz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mumme
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermanns
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cremerius
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: F -U
authors.initials: F-
authors.lastname: Niethard
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Buell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012086:Reoperation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18