Equine Nuclear Scintigraphy

Nuclear Scintigraphy is commonly referred to as a “bone scan,” and is used to evaluate complex lameness cases. The most common use of a bone scan is in those cases in which nerve blocks fail to localize a lameness, or in which lameness is localized but x-ray findings are negative. Under light sedation, the horse is injected with a rapidly-decaying radioactive isotope that circulates through the body and attaches to areas in which bones are actively remodeling. A scintillation camera and computer then measure the radiation that has temporarily bonded to limbs or vertebrae, discovering what is referred to as “hot spots.” A bone scan can often find a hot spot in its earliest stages, before a lesion has developed sufficiently to appear on x-ray, and when treatment can be most effective.