Acute vertebral fracture after spinal fusion: a case report illustrating the added value of single-source dual-energy computed tomography to magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with spinal Instrumentation.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is degraded by metal-implant-induced artifacts when used for the diagnostic assessment of vertebral compression fractures in patients with instrumented spinal fusion. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) offers a promising supplementary imaging tool in these patients. This case report describes an 85-year-old woman who presented with a suspected acute vertebral fracture after long posterior lumbar interbody fusion. This is the first report of a vertebral fracture that showed bone marrow edema on DECT; however, edema was missed by an MRI STIR sequence owing to metal artifacts. Bone marrow assessment using DECT is less susceptible to metal artifacts than MRI, resulting in improved visualization of vertebral edema in the vicinity of fused vertebral bodies.
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
M
M
Fuchs
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
M
M
Putzier
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
M
M
Pumberger
Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
K G
KG
Hermann
Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. torsten.diekhoff@charite.de.
T
T
Diekhoff
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Bone marrow edema; Dual-energy computed tomography; Magnetic resonance imaging; Vertebral compression fracture