Whole-Body Nuclear Bone Scan for Osteomyelitis Evaluation of the Skeleton and Adjacent Musculoskeletal Tissues

This radiation-based nuclear medicine imaging exam uses small, safe doses of radioactive tracers that accumulate in areas of active bone turnover and infection to generate detailed images of the entire skeleton and all surrounding musculoskeletal structures. It is specifically designed to detect early-stage osteomyelitis, or bone infection, that is often undetectable on standard X-ray imaging, including infection in hard-to-visualize regions like the spine, pelvis, and small bones of the hands and feet. The scan also assesses adjacent muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage to determine if infection has spread beyond the bone into nearby soft tissue, and is routinely ordered for patients with diabetic foot infections, post-fracture persistent bone pain, or unexplained fevers with suspected bone infection.