title: Incidental vertebral compression fractures in imaging studies: Lessons not learned by radiologists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess radiologists reporting rates of incidental vertebral compression fractures in imaging studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a review of the current literature on the prevalence and reporting rates of incidental vertebral compression fractures in radiologic examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bibliographic search revealed 12 studies: 7 studies using conventional radiology and 5 using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The loss of height cut-off to define a vertebral fracture varied from 15% to 25%. Fracture prevalence was high (mean 21.1%; range 9.5%-35%) in both radiographic and MDCT studies (mean 21.6% and 20.2%, respectively). Reporting rates were low with a mean value of 27.4% (range 0%-66.3%) and were significantly lower in MDCT than in radiographic studies (mean 8.1% vs 41.1%). Notably, recent studies showed lower reporting rates than older studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many scientific studies have confirmed a high prevalence of vertebral compression fractures as incidental findings on imaging studies. However, the underreporting of these fractures, as determined in our study, may negatively affect patient care.
authors.affiliation: Tommaso Bartalena, Department of Radiologiy, Poliambulatorio Privato Zappi Bartalena, Imola 40026, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bartalena
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Modolon
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Braccaioli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sverzellati
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rimondi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busacca
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Albisinni
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Resnick