title: Time course of osteoporotic vertebral fractures by magnetic resonance imaging using a simple classification: a multicenter prospective cohort study.
abstract: This study revealed the time course of osteoporotic vertebral fracture by magnetic resonance imaging using a simple classification. Signal changes were associated with the compression degree and mobility of the fractured vertebral body. This classification showed sufficient reliability in categorizing magnetic resonance imaging findings of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
  
  
  
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in diagnosing osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs). This study investigated the time course of OVFs by MRI using a simple classification.
  
  
  
  This multicenter cohort study was performed from 2012 to 2015. Consecutive patients with ≤2-week-old OVFs were enrolled in 11 institutions. MRI was performed at enrollment and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Signal changes on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2WI, and short τ inversion recovery (STIR) were classified according to signal intensity. Height and angular motion of vertebral bodies were also measured.
  
  
  
  The 6-month follow-up was completed by 153 patients. At enrollment, fractured vertebrae signal changes were 43 % diffuse and 57 % confined low on T1WI; on T2WI, 56, 24, and 5 % were confined low, high, and diffuse low, respectively; on STIR, 100 % were high. On T1WI, diffuse low remained most common (90 % at 1 month and 60 % at 3 months) until 6 and 12 months, when most were confined low (54 and 52 %, respectively). On T2WI, confined low remained most common (decreasing to 41 % at 12 months). On STIR, high signal change was shown in 98, 87, and 64 % at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. At 3, 6, and 12 months, diffuse low signal change was associated with significantly lower vertebral height, and high signal change was associated with significantly greater angular motion.
  
  
  
  MRI signal changes were associated with the compression degree and angular motion of fractured vertebrae. This classification showed sufficient reliability in categorizing MRI findings of OVFs.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. shinji@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hoshino
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seikeikai Hospital, Sakai, Osaka, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Takayama
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sato Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Iseki
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yodogawa Christian Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sasaoka
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shiraniwa Hospital, Ikoma, Nara, Japan.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Tsujio
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka General Hospital of West Japan Railway Company, Osaka, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Yasuda
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Sasaki
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saiseikai Nakatsu Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Kanematsu
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ishikiri Seiki Hospital, Higashi Osaka, Osaka, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kono
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Toyoda
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Osteoporotic vertebral fractures; Simple classification; Time course