Gallium-67 scanning in the painful total hip replacement

Pain following total hip replacement is a significant clinical and diagnostic problem. Technetium scanning has proved a sensitive indicator of infection or loosening but does not differentiate between them. This study assessed the value of gallium-67 to aid this differentiation. Thirty patients underwent revision surgery. Fourteen were proven to be infected and 13 had positive gallium scans as also did two patients without infection. The implications of these false interpretations are discussed. Increased gallium activity was correlated with the patterns of the 99m Tc scans and arthrographic appearances. It is concluded that gallium-67 scanning is a valuable adjunct to the assessment of the painful hip replacement when infection is suspected.