The study, released at the Annual Meeting of SNM, an imaging organization, found that molecular imaging helps pinpoint abnormal bone reaction to improve diagnoses and pain management for patients who have plates, cages, rods and screws or bone grafts to support the spine.

In the study, 20 patients presenting with spinal pain were evaluated with PET/CT at least eight months after surgery, and 24 bone or tissue abnormalities were found in 17 of them. Twelve of the patients received exploratory surgery and four received local anesthetic nerve blockade, providing short-term pain management as an alternative to surgery.

Read the ScienceDaily study on imaging.

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