Abstract：Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of PET/CT in nonviolent thoracic or lumbar vertebral fracture. Methods: Twenty-five cases of PET/CT tomogram with nonviolent vertebral fracture were analyzed retrospectively. SUV＞2.5 was prescribed as abnormal radioactivity uptake. MRI/CT tomograms were performed to compare and ascertain the value of PET/CT in diagnosis and etiology presumption. Result: In the 25 cases with vertebral fracture, PET/CT found 39 abnormal centrums: 17 cases with single fracture, 8 cases with multiple fracture, 24 cases with centrums involved only, 1 case involved both centrum and appendix, 4 cases with centrum destruction. Compression was found in 38 centrums and 10 cases had increased radioactivity uptake. Fifteen old fractures, 6 new fractures and 4 pathological fractures were diagnosed by PET/CT. Thirty-six abnormal centrums were detected by MRI. Fifteen old fractures, 5 simple compression fractures and 5 pathological fractures were diagnosed by MRI. Thirty-eight abnormal centrums were detected by CT. Seventeen old fractures, 3 simple compression fractures and 5 pathological fractures were diagnosed by CT. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET/CT were 98.9%, 95.6% and 98.2% respectively, while in MRI the value was 94.4%, 82.2%, 91.9% respectively and in CT the value was 87.1%, 68.9%, 83.4% respectively. Conclusion: PET/CT is better than MRI or CT in the diagnosis of nonviolent vertebral fracture and can provide more accurate image information.
2007, Vol. 18 
