[Scintigraphic research on patellar changes after endoprosthetic replacement of the knee joint].

A clinical and x-ray review of 118 GSB-Knee-Protheses without resurfacing the patella--mean time of follow-up 4 years--was performed. In 50 knees of these an additional quantifying bone-scan with 99mTc-MDP ("ROI-method") indicated new aspects of the pathomechanics of the patella after knee replacement. Comparing 42 healthy knee joints and 82 knees with osteoarthrosis principles for early diagnosis of patellar changes could be set up. According to these findings the quantifying scans show the development of dystrophic patellar changes after knee replacement.