Usefulness of Bone SPECT/CT for Predicting Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head in Children with Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis or Femoral Neck Fracture

ABSTRACT

Objective@#This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of bone single-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) of the hip in predicting the later occurrence of avascular necrosis (AVN) after slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) or femoral neck fracture in pediatric patients. The quantitative parameters of SPECT/CT useful in predicting AVN were identified. @*Materials and Methods@#Twenty-one (male:female, 10:11) consecutive patients aged 1 year after the surgery. The SPECT/CT parameters were compared between patients who developed AVN and those who did not. The accuracy of SPECT/CT parameters for predicting AVN was assessed. @*Results@#Six patients developed AVN. There was a significant difference in the ratio of the mean SUV among patients who developed AVN (mean ± SD, 0.8 ± 0.3) and those who did not (1.1 ± 0.2, p = 0.018). However, there were no significant differences in the ratios of the maximum and minimum SUV between the groups (all p = 0.205). For the maximum, mean, and minimum SUVs, no significant differences were observed between the groups (p = 0.519, 0.733, and 0.470, respectively). The cutoff mean SUV ratio of 0.87 yielded a 66.7% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity for predicting AVN. @*Conclusion@#Quantitative bone SPECT/CT is useful for evaluating femoral head viability in pediatric patients with SCFE or femoral neck fractures. Clinicians should consider the high possibility of later AVN development in patients with a decreased mean SUV ratio.