title: Lateral vertebral assessment: a valuable technique to detect clinically significant vertebral fractures.
abstract: Although many vertebral fractures are clinically silent, they are associated with increased risk for subsequent osteoporotic fractures. A substantial number of these fractures are demonstrable using instant vertebral assessment with Hologic densitometers. Whether similar recognition is possible using dual-energy lateral vertebral assessment (LVA) with GE Lunar densitometers remains uncertain. Thus, we evaluated the ability of clinicians using LVA to detect prevalent vertebral fractures. Dual-energy LVA and conventional thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs were concurrently obtained in 80 postmenopausal women. Using an established visual semiquantitative system, vertebral fractures were identified individually by two non-radiologist clinicians on LVA images, and the results were compared with spinal radiograph evaluation by an expert radiologist. Using LVA, 95% of vertebral bodies from T7 through L4 were evaluable, but a majority (66%) of vertebrae from T4 to T6 were not adequately visualized. In the LVA-evaluable vertebrae, prevalent fractures were identified in 40 vertebral bodies by radiography. In this regard, the clinicians using LVA detected 17 of 18 radiographically evident vertebral fractures of grade 2 or 3, a false negative rate of 6%. They identified 50% (11/22) of grade 1 fractures. Additionally, the vast majority of evaluable non-fractured vertebrae, (764/794, 96.2%) were correctly classified as normal by LVA. Thus, clinicians utilizing LVA correctly identified the vast majority of grade 2 or 3 vertebral compression fractures and normal vertebral bodies, although detection of grade 1 fractures was less effective. In conclusion, the low-radiation, dual-energy LVA technique provides a rapid and convenient way for clinicians to identify patients with, and without, grade 2 or 3 vertebral fractures, thereby enhancing care of osteoporotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Clinical Center and Research Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. nbinkley@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Binkley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gangnon
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Genant
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Drezner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology