This cross-sectional study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of triphasic bone scintigraphy and SPECT/CT in evaluating foot and ankle osteoarthritis, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the reference standard, and to determine the affected joints.
Osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle is a significant cause of chronic pain and functional impairment. Conventional radiography has limited sensitivity for early changes, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the reference standard for evaluating cartilage, bone marrow edema, and soft tissue structures. Nuclear medicine techniques provide functional information about bone metabolism. Triphasic bone scan using technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) assesses perfusion, blood pool, and delayed skeletal uptake. However, planar imaging has limited spatial resolution and anatomical localization in the complex anatomy of the foot and ankle. Hybrid SPECT/CT combines the functional data of SPECT with the precise anatomical localization of CT, improving diagnostic confidence and specificity. This study will evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of triphasic bone scan and SPECT/CT compared with MRI in patients with suspected foot and ankle osteoarthritis.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
40
Diagnostic accuracy of triphasic bone scan and SPECT/CT
Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of triphasic bone scintigraphy and SPECT/CT for detecting foot and ankle osteoarthritis, using MRI as the reference standard.
Time frame: Baseline
Identification of affected joints
Determination of the specific joints affected by osteoarthritis in the foot and ankle based on SPECT/CT and MRI findings.
Time frame: Baseline
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