investigations
Last reviewed 01/2018
The principle radiologically apparent change is increased bone density which may appear months or even years after infarction.
Other possible changes include:
- bone deformation
- subarticular fracturing
Radionucleotide scanning may reveal:
- increased activity - due to the vascular reaction in the surrounding bone
- decreased activity - due to the avascular segment
MRI is now widely used and especially in the hip, is very reliable.