Isotope bone scans in the assessment of children with hip pain or limp.

Bone scans from 43 children referred with hip pain of uncertain cause were reviewed. The bone scan was abnormal in 36 patients: normal in 7. In 12 the findings were diagnostic: osteomyelitis, osteoid osteoma, osteomyelitis with septic arthritis, Perthes' Disease and juvenile chronic arthritis. Twenty-four patients had abnormal scans including diffuse peri-articular increase and of these 18 had transient synovitis. Immobilisation and trauma accounted for the remainder. Isotope bone scans have been found to be a valuable investigation in children presenting with hip pain or limp, where the x-rays may appear normal or nondiagnostic.