Technetium bone scanning as an aid in the diagnosis of atypical acute osteomyelitis in children.

Technetium bone scanning is a simple, safe and accurate method for the diagnosis of acute osteomyelitis in children whose presenting clinical findings are atypical of bone infection. Bone scanning was effective in the localization of the exact site of osteomyelitis, thus facilitating needle aspiration as well as subsequent surgical decompression. Tehcnetium bone scanning is a diagnostic technique for determining bone infection in children who are unable to communicate adequately or in those whose signs have been modified by previous inadequate antibacterial therapy.