Bone scintigraphy in the evaluation of fracture of the carpal scaphoid bone.

The purpose of the present prospective study was to assess the value of 99m-Tc-MDP wrist scintigraphy performed as a routine examination in excluding or detecting carpal scaphoid bone fracture. The following conclusions are drawn: 99m-Tc-MDP wrist scintigraphy is of high sensitivity, but low specificity in the detection of scaphoid bone fractures. The scintigraphy is expedient to exclude scaphoid bone fracture, if performed after secondary clinical and radiographic assessment, and guided by negative scintigrams a reduction of clinical examinations, radiographies and superfluous casting days is achieved.