Evaluation of femoral neck fracture healing in man by serial 99mTc-diphosphonate scintimetry.

99mTc-diphosphonate uptake was measured in thirty-four patients with intracapsular fractures of femoral neck and in sixteen patients with trochanteric fractures during their healing process. A peak value in count ratio was recorded in all patients 4 to 6 weeks after fractures. Fifty patients were classified into a normal healing group and a delayed or non-union group. Namely, 99mTc-diphosphonate uptake was significantly higher in the delayed or non-union group than in the normal healing union group 10 weeks after injury. The application of 99mTc-diphosphonate scintimetry seems to make it possible to differentiate objectively the normal healing union from the delayed or non-union.