Abstract：Objective: To study multiple MRI techniques in the differentiation of benign and pathologic vertebral compression fracture. Methods: Forty-eight vertebral fracture(88 vertebrae) patients, including 28 pathologic compression fractures(55 vertebrae including 24 metastasis, 1 myeloma, 4 tuberculosis) and 20 benign fracture(33 vertebrae including 14 traumatic and 7 osteoporotic fractures), were examined with conventional MR(T1WI, T2WI, STIR, DWI and enhanced T1WI). Pathological fracture was proven by biopsy or surgery and benign compression fracture were proven by clinical manifestation, MRI and follow-up. Results: There were 20 benign fracture(33 vertebrae). Compared with the adjacent normal vertebrae, in the benign vertebral compression fracture 27 showed hyper- or mix-intensity signal and 6 hypo- or iso-intensity signal on T2WI. On DWI, 5 showed hyper- or mix-intensity signal and 28 hypo- or iso-intensity signal. There were 28 pathologic compression fracture(55 vertebrae). Compared with the adjacent normal vertebrae, in the malignant vertebral compression fracture 42 showed hyper- or mix-intensity signal and 13 hypo- or iso-intensity signal on T2WI. On DWI, 51 showed hyper- or mix-intensity signal and 4 showed hypo- or iso-intensity signal. The total diagnostic accuracy with T1+T2 MRI sequences combined was 82.3%, with T1+T2+enhanced T1WI+STIR+DWI MRI sequences was 98.6%. Conclusion: The combined use of the multiple MRI sequences is very helpful in differentiation of benign and pathologic vertebral compression fracture.
2006, Vol. 17 
