title: Delayed post-traumatic vertebral collapse (Kummell's disease): case report with serial radiographs, computed tomographic scans, and bone scans.
abstract: A case of delayed posttraumatic vertebral collapse (Kummell's disease) is described and documented with serial radiographs, computed tomographic scans, and bone scans. The bone scan was normal before the back injury occurred and showed increased radionuclide uptake 3 weeks after injury and before vertebral collapse. Plain radiographs and computed tomographic scans taken during the interval between injury and collapse revealed no evidence of fracture or bone destruction. The authors believe this represents the first example of Kummell's phenomenon documented with serial computed tomographic and bone scans, and provides further support to the ischemic necrosis theory as the underlying process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Van Eenenaam
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: el-Khoury
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019567:Back Injuries; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate