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Imaging may help determine frequency of osteoporosis in acute cervical fractures
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According to recently published study findings, the use of opportunistic CT scans on patients with acute cervical fractures may help determine the frequency of osteoporosis based on L1 bone density.
Researchers analyzed patients who presented to a Level I trauma center with an acute fracture of the cervical spine and underwent abdominal, or L1, CT scanning either at admission or in the 6 months before or after the injury. The study included 91 patients with a cervical spine fracture; 51 of whom were younger than 65 years old and 40 of whom were 65 years of age or older.
Regions of interest of similar size in the body of L-1 were generated using a picture-archiving and communication system, and mean values for CT attenuation were computed.
When stratified by age, the mean CT attenuation value in the younger cohort was 193.85 Hounsfield units (HU) compared with 117.39 HU for the older cohort — a difference that was considered to be statistically significant (P < .001), according to the researchers. Additionally, the researchers found older patients had a higher frequency of C2 fractures, which correlated with the patients’ overall bone mineral density.
The researchers concluded opportunistic CT scans of the abdomen can also be used to determine osteoporosis and may help potentially reduce the need for the extra time and costs associated with dual X-ray absorptiometry scanning. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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