Hot spots on bone scan and knee pain - waiting for results and worried

[Rutter]

About 2 months ago I crouched down to get something and something 'went' at the back of my knee. Over the next few days I experienced gradually increasing pain, and then looked at my knee one day and saw it was huge. Since then the swelling has stayed, it is painful and warm, and the rest of my leg has joined in - it is swollen from above me knee to the ankle, and the pain is either on the inside of my knee (on movement) or intense and in the calf muscle (most of the time). Nothing significant showed up on the XRays or MRI, and the orthopedic surgeon sent me for a bone scan. I was really expecting the all clear, but I was in there for and hour and a half while they 'accurately scanned the hot spots', and they ended up scanning my kidneys, lumbar spine and hips as well. They ended up doing a CT scan as well on my knee on the advice of the doctor there. I now have to wait until next week to find out the results and I am sick with worry. Any ideas from all the symptoms what this could be? I know hot spots aren't always the big C, but I am worried....

Thanks for any help

H

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Quite likely what they are referring to are spots of great bone activity.  That usually indicates arthritis.  The more active or "hot" the area of bone is the more likely it is painful or the cartilage is wearing out.  A bone scan does take a LONG time to complete.  Try a whole body one once, I was there forever.  Good luck.

[Rutter]

Thanks for your message - seeing the OS tomorrow so will find out more then....

[Rutter]

Hi TwoBadKnees

Saw the orthopedic surgeon today, and he was flummoxed! Basically he said that he couldn't do anything for my knee, and was going to refer me on to a rheumatologist. I assume it's not straightforward arthritis, as he didn't really seem to know what was wrong. There are 'hot spots' across my knee, but they don't really add up to anything....

Onward to the next specialist who will tell me they don't know what's going on!! It coudl have been worse though! Thanks for your support.

H

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Well darn! Hope the next doc can help you out.  Sometimes you have to keep asking to get an answer.  Let me know what the next specialist says.