RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Diffusely increased bone scintigraphic uptake in patellofemoral pain syndrome JF British Journal of Sports Medicine JO Br J Sports Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine SP 162 OP 165 DO 10.1136/bjsm.2004.012336 VO 39 IS 3 A1 Näslund, J E A1 Odenbring, S A1 Näslund, U-B A1 Lundeberg, T YR 2005 UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/3/162.abstract AB Objectives: Painful disorders of the patellofemoral joint are one of the most frequent complaints in orthopaedic and sports medicine. The aims of this study were to determine whether bone scintigrams of patients suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) show diffuse uptake and in what bony compartment of the knee uptake, if any, was localised. Methods: Fifty eight patients with chronic PFPS were examined. All patients underwent a detailed clinical history and a thorough physical examination of the knee. Anterior and lateral static images of both knees were made using a gamma camera 3 h after injection of 550 MBq of 99mTc-HMDP. Two experienced radiologists visually evaluated the scans blindly and separately. As 51 patients had bilateral pain, 109 painful knees are included in the results. Results: Diffuse uptake on bone scintigrams was found in 48 knees in 30 of the patients. In 33 knees the uptake was localised to only one bone compartment, in 10 knees diffuse uptake was found in two of the bones forming the knee joint, and in six knees all three bone compartments (the distal femur, the patella, and the proximal tibia) exhibited diffuse uptake. Conclusions: Scintigrams of approximately half of the patients with PFPS will show diffuse uptake in one or more of the bony compartments of the knee joint and radioactive tracer accumulation will occur as often in the proximal tibia as in the patella.