title: Value of bone scan imaging in determining painful vertebrae of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures patients with contraindications to MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of bone scan imaging in determining painful vertebrae of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) patients with contraindications to MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three OVCFs patients with contraindications to MRI, diagnosed and treated in our hospital between December 2007 and November 2010, were enrolled in this retrospective study. There were 18 females and five males, aged from 57 to 87 years, with a mean age of 69.5 years. All patients underwent X-ray, CT scans examinations and bone scan to determine painful vertebrae. After the painful vertebra was defined, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) was performed. Efficacy of PKP was assessed with visual analog (VAS) pain scale and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) preoperatively, postoperatively and during final follow-up assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The painful vertebrae shown on radiological films did not accord with those found based on bone scan imaging, with a high rate of incongruent findings (27.3%, 9/33). Radiological films showed 33 vertebrae with fractures, but only 26 vertebrae (22 patients) were selected as painful vertebrae for PKP based on bone scan imaging. There were statistically significant differences in mean VAS and ODI between the preoperative and the postoperative assessments; no significant differences were observed between postoperative and final follow-up assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the OVCFs patients with contraindications to MRI, bone scan imaging could be used to determine painful vertebrae, which is an effective method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-bing
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Hui-lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kang-wu
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D058498:Kyphoplasty / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate