Korean J Spine.  2012 Sep;9(3):227-231. 10.14245/kjs.2012.9.3.227.

Usefulness of SPAIR Image, Fracture Line and the Adjacent Discs Change on Magnetic Resonance Image in the Acute Osteoporotic Compression Fracture

• Choi WH
• Oh SH
• Lee CJ
• Rhim JK
• Chung BS
• Hong HJ

• KMID: 2288484
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2012.9.3.227

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Osteoporotic compression fracture is an increasing issue in this community and its diagnosis depends on the magnetic resonance images (MRI). Although T1- and T2-weighted images (T1WI and T2WI) have high sensitivity and specificity, the fat suppression technique gives more clear delineation of this abnormalities. Accordingly, we re-evaluated its exact sensitivity and specificity for the imaging diagnosis of osteoporotic compression fractures in our cases. For additional information about the osteoporotic compression fractures, we evaluate the fracture lines, fluid sign and adjacent discs change on the MRI.
METHODS
Retrospectively, total 85 patients who had been diagnosed with acute osteoporotic compression fracture were enrolled. They all had been underwent MRI including T1WI, T2WI and T2- Spectral Adiabatic Inversion Recovery (SPAIR) sequence.
RESULTS
In this study, the incidence of high signal intensity on T2-SPAIR image was very high (0.9917). The fluid sign was seen in 56.7% on the SPAIR image. The fracture lines were more observed on the T2WI than T1WI (p=0.0062). The adjacent discs change on T2WI and T2-SPAIR image were higher than T1WI (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
For the acute osteoporotic compression fracture, T2-SPAIR image is the most specific sequence of the all sequences. The fluid sign is another suggestive finding when considered other studies. T2WI is more useful to find the fracture line than T1WI. Abnormal signal intensity on the adjacent discs may provide additional information for the acute osteoporotic compression fractures.

Keyword

Adjacent discs; Fluid sign; Fracture line; Osteoporosis; Compression fracture; T2-SPAIR

MeSH Terms

Fractures, Compression
Humans
Incidence
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Magnetics
Magnets
Osteoporosis
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity