Our Experience with Three-phase Scintigraphy of Elbows for Assessing Occupational Entesopathies

Overview

The authors examined 83 patients by the three-phase scintigraphy of elbows between 1998 and 2003. They found out chronicentesopathies in 71 patients of the sample referred to the orthopaedic examination due to suspected disease of upper extremities dueto overload. The three-phase scintigraphy was positive only in 46 % of patients examined. The significant correspondence ofclinical and scintigraphy findings was not found neither in ulnar nor radial entesopathies including their concurrence. As concernsadditional diagnoses, the syndrome of carpal tunnel was found in 32 % of patients and arthrotic changes on elbow joints in 20 % ofpatients – there were mild nonsignificant changes.Positive correlation between orthopaedic and scintigraphy findings was neither found in next 12 patients referred by theorthopaedic specialist to the scintigraphy without suspicion on occupational origin.Authors conclude that further detailed follow-up in a larger sample is necessary. They do not doubt the diagnostic contributionof the three-phase scintigraphy, however they think that this method should not be the main criterion in diagnosing entesopathies ofelbows currently.

Key words:
entesopathy, three-phase scintigraphy of elbows, overloading upper extremities, occupational disease