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Who is a Candidate?


Your interventional radiologist may recommend a bone biopsy in the following situations:

  • Confirming the diagnosis of a bone disorder
  • Determining the cause of an infection or pain you’re experiencing
  • Distinguishing a bone tumor from other conditions with similar symptoms
  • Investigating an abnormality of the bone

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What to Expect


Your interventional radiologist may advise you to stop taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or other blood-thinning medicines before your procedure. Depending on the extent of your biopsy, you may have general anesthesia (fully asleep) or local anesthesia (numbing only the affected area). Most bone biopsies are outpatient procedures — meaning it doesn’t require an overnight stay in the hospital. 

To prepare for the procedure, you’re positioned on the operating table to make the area of bone that’s being sampled easily accessible. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, your interventional radiologist uses advanced imaging guidance to help insert a needle into your bone and then a second, smaller needle into the first needle. Once a tiny sample of bone is removed, they pull out both needles, one at a time. A bandage or dressing is placed over the injection site to stop bleeding.

Many biopsies take less than an hour to complete, but some procedures can take longer. You can expect to be in an observation area for several hours after your procedure to ensure you recover safely. Typically, you can return home later that same day, and resume your normal activities by the next day.