title: The effect of common artifacts lateral to the spine on bone mineral density in the lumbar spine.
abstract: Artifacts such as surgical clips, gallstones, and kidney stones are often present in the soft tissue stripe lateral to vertebral bodies. Using cadaveric specimens, we placed bra wires, gallbladder clips, a large gallstone, a calcium carbonate or a calcium citrate pill lateral to L1, or a large or small calcium-containing kidney stone lateral to L3 and compared the mean bone mineral density (BMD) of individual vertebral bodies and L1-L4 with and without the soft tissue artifact. The specimens used had high BMD (L1-L4 BMD=1.049 g/cm2) and low BMD (L1-L4 BMD=0.669 g/cm2) and were scanned with a Hologic Discovery W scanner with 12.7 software in the array mode. None of the artifacts affected L1 or L3 BMD or L1-L4 BMD significantly in the high BMD spine. However, bra wires, a large calcium citrate pill lateral to L1, 3 calcium citrate pills lateral to L1, a calcium carbonate pill over L1, and 3 calcium carbonate pills lateral to L1 did affect L1-L4 BMD in low BMD torso. Gallbladder clips or gallstone did not affect L1-L4 BMD in either specimen. We conclude that artifacts lateral to the spine, particularly in a low BMD spine, can affect the interpretation of L1-L4 BMD using a Hologic Discovery W scanner with 12.7 software in array mode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic, Birmingham, AL 35294-1270, USA. slmorgan@uab.edu
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopez-Ben
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nunnally
authors.forename: Leandria
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burroughs
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fineberg
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Yester
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D016477:Artifacts; D015519:Bone Density; D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*