Gallium-67 citrate as an aid to the diagnosis of XXXX in hip surgery.

@entity1 @entity6081 @entity174 @entity2091 @entity281 @entity2719 @entity158
We have evaluated the use of Gallium-67 scans as an aid to the diagnosis of @entity281 around the hip joint after operation. We performed 12 @entity2719 -67 scintiscans on six @entity1 with diaphyseal @entity174 of the femur or @entity2091 reduced by external fixation, and 65 scintiscans on 60 hips after operation, which included 22 Moore's prosthesis, 31 total replacements, three nail-plates and four revisions of total replacements. We also scanned the @entity6081 in a further 11 @entity1 . Simple @entity174 or osteotomies did not lead to abnormal uptake of 67Ga. Although some uptake in the scar was encountered the surgical wound did not complicate the interpretation of the scan. When assessing @entity281 in the hip operations the rate of true-positive was 11/11, or 100%. The false-positive rate could not be assessed until after at least one year's follow-up. It was certainly less than 14% immediately after operation and less than 6% when the scan was performed three months after operation. Four @entity1 were found to have a loose prosthesis but had a normal scintiscan, as had three @entity1 presenting with post-operative @entity158 . It appears that 67Ga is clinically an efficient means for early detection of @entity281 about the operated hip, and is useful in the differential diagnosis of a @entity158 hip after surgery.
