SPECT/CT for imaging of the spine and pelvis in clinical routine: a physician's perspective of the adoption of SPECT/CT in a clinical setting with a focus on trauma surgery.
Injuries of the axial skeleton are an important field of work within orthopaedic surgery and traumatology. Most lesions following trauma may be diagnosed by means of conventional plain radiography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. However, for some aspects SPECT/ CT can be helpful even in a trauma setting. In particular, the combination of highly sensitive but nonspecific scintigraphy with nonsensitive but highly specific computed tomography makes it particularly useful in anatomically complex regions such as the pelvis and spine. From a trauma surgeon's point of view, the four main indications for nuclear medicine imaging are the detection of (occult) fractures, and the imaging of inflammatory bone and joint diseases, chronic diseases and postoperative complications such as instability of instrumentation or implants. The aim of the present review was to give an overview of the adoption of SPECT/CT in a clinical setting.
Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zürich, Switzerland, maxjscheyerer@gmx.ch.
Max J
MJ
Scheyerer
Carsten
C
Pietsch
Stefan M
SM
Zimmermann
Georg
G
Osterhoff
Hans-Peter
HP
Simmen
Clement M L
CM
Werner
D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014194:Traumatology / Q000379:methods*