An Experimental Study of the Effects of Radiation on Growing Bone by Bone Scintigraphy

Bones of immature rabbits were irradiated during the growth period, and followed with bone scintigraphy using Tc-99 m methylene diphosphonate. The accumulation of the radionuclide was decreased in the irradiated bone at an early period as compared to the control side, and the decrease was more pronounced as the dose of irradiation was increased. In the groups irradiated with less than 4, 000 rad, the accumulation ratio reached a minimum at 5 weeks and was followed by a gradual recovery. In the group irradiated with 6, 000 rad, the recovery was small; and no recovery was observed in the 8, 000 rad group. These changes were compared to the inhibition of the longitudinal growth of the bone. The accumulation ratio for the radionuclide was a more sensitive index of the effect of radiation than the growth rate.