Asian Spine J.  2010 Dec;4(2):89-95. 10.4184/asj.2010.4.2.89.

The Comparison of Bone Scan and MRI in Osteoporotic Compression Fractures

• Kim JH
• Kim JI
• Jang BH
• Seo JG
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2169557
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/asj.2010.4.2.89

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. PURPOSE: To estimate the usefulness of bone scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of new fracture in osteoporotic vertebral fractures. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The diagnosis of new fractrure in osteoporotic vertebral fractures requires simple X-ray and supplementary studies.
METHODS
We analyzed 87 vertebrae in 44 patients, who diagnosed with osteoporotic vertebral fractures using bone scan and MRI within 2 months interval between August 2001 and July 2008. We compared hot uptakes in bone scan with MRI findings such as new fractures, old fractures and degenerative lesions.
RESULTS
Hot uptakes in bone scan was matched to 48 new fractures, 26 old fractures and 13 degenerative lesions in MRI findings. It was 55% of concordance between hot uptakes in bone scan and new fractures in MRI. The rate of new vertebral fractures confirmed by MRI according to 1 level hot uptakes in bone scan was 96%, 2 levels was 50% and 3 more levels was 36%.
CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of new fracture in osteoporotic vertebral fractures requires simple X-ray and supplementary studies such as bone scan and MRI. We recommend more careful interpretation in multiple osteoporotic vertebral fracture patients about hot uptake lesions of bone scan.

Keyword

Osteoporotic vertebral fractures; Bone scan; MRI

MeSH Terms

Fractures, Compression
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Retrospective Studies
Spine