What to expect during a Bone Scan

For a bone scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into your bones over a period of hours (2-6). Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.

At injection the tracer is in your blood stream and we may take some pictures at this time to see the blood flow to an area of your body. After the injection you may leave and there are no restrictions on what you can do. You will be asked to drink 4-6 cups of fluid and to empty your bladder as often as you like. You may eat and take any medication as normal.

You will be given an appointment to return for imaging between 2 to 6 hours later when we will take a set of pictures of your bones. Depending on your medical history, these pictures will take 60-90 minutes. Most of this time you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still while we take pictures.