title: Are Non-contrast MR Images enough for Detection of Fracture Levels Prior to Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in Patients with Osteoporosis?
abstract: We evaluated the detectability of painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) on different MRI protocols in 40 osteoporotic patients with thoraco-lumbar osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Five hundred and ten thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in 40 patients were evaluated. All patients underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty. Vertebral fractures were found in 126 (24.7%) of 510 vertebrae. Healed vertebral fractures were found in 33 (26.2%) of 126 vertebral fractures. Painful osteoporotic VCFs was found in 93 (73.8%) of 126 fractures. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of contrast-enhanced MR images, and the non-contrasted combined protocol (including T1-weighted, T2-weighted and STIR images) for the detection of painful osteoporotic VCFs were all more than 90%. Therefore, the non-contrasted combined protocol can be used for detection of painful osteoporotic VCFs prior to percutaneous vertebroplasty, unless there are conditions where contrast-enhanced MR is needed to rule out other causes of VCFs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan - mhteng@MAIL2000.com.tw.
authors.forename: Wei Hsin
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Michael Mu Huo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Hui Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ying Chou
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Cheng Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang