title: Using MRI to determine painful vertebrae to be treated by kyphoplasty in multiple-level vertebral compression fractures: a prospective study.
abstract: A prospective study in 35 osteoporotic patients with 120 multiple-level vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) assessed the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine painful vertebrae for treatment with kyphoplasty (KP). A total of 51 vertebrae were identified as painful and selected for KP based on changes in MRI signal intensity between T1-weighted, T2-weighted and short tau inversion recovery MRI. Efficacy was assessed by the mean change in anterior/middle vertebral body height, Cobb's angle, a visual analogue pain scale and the Oswestry Disability Index at pre-operative, post-operative and final follow-up assessments. Significant improvements in all efficacy measures were observed at the postoperative versus pre-operative assessments; no significant differences were observed between post-operative and final follow-up assessments. It is concluded that painful vertebrae can be determined by MRI signal intensity changes and their selection for KP can improve outcomes in patients with multiple-level VCFs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou City, China.
authors.forename: H-L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G-L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G-Q
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hiltner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: T-S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054854:Vertebroplasty