Technetium-99m-pyrophosphate kinetics and imaging in metabolic bone disease.

A study was undertaken to investigate the behavior of 99mTc-Sn-pyrophosphate complex in metabolic bone disease. Of clinical importance was the generalized increased periarticular bone accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical in osteomalacia and in combined osteomalacia and osteitis fibrosa as found in patients with chronic renal failure. The pattern in primary hyperparathyroidism was variable. There was no correlation between the initial rates of accumulation of the radiophosphate complex or its bone to soft-tissue uptake ratio at 5 hr when compared with the degree of osteomalacia and osteitis fibrosa. It is postulated that the 99mTc-Sn-pyrophosphate complex has greater affinity for immature collagen than the crystal surface.