Bartalena T, Rinaldi MF, Modolon C, Braccaioli L, Sverzellati N, Rossi G, Rimondi E, Busacca M, Albisinni U, Resnick D. Incidental vertebral compression fractures in imaging studies: Lessons not learned by radiologists. World J Radiol 2010; 2(10): 399-404 [PMID: 21161025 DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v2.i10.399]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Dr. Tommaso Bartalena, Department of Radiologiy, Poliambulatorio Privato Zappi Bartalena, Imola 40026, Italy. t.bartalena@email.it
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Brief Article
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World J Radiol. Oct 28, 2010; 2(10): 399-404 Published online Oct 28, 2010. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v2.i10.399
Incidental vertebral compression fractures in imaging studies: Lessons not learned by radiologists
Tommaso Bartalena, Maria Francesca Rinaldi, Cecilia Modolon, Lucia Braccaioli, Nicola Sverzellati, Giuseppe Rossi, Eugenio Rimondi, Maurizio Busacca, Ugo Albisinni, Donald Resnick
Tommaso Bartalena, Department of Radiologiy, Poliambulatorio Privato Zappi Bartalena, Imola 40026, Italy
Maria Francesca Rinaldi, Cecilia Modolon, Department of Radiology, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna 40138, Italy
Lucia Braccaioli, Department of Radiology, Ospedale Ceccarini, Riccione 47838, Italy
Nicola Sverzellati, Department of Clinical Sciences, Radiology Section, Universityof Parma, Parma 43100, Italy
Giuseppe Rossi, Department of Angiographic Interventional Radiology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna 40136, Italy
Eugenio Rimondi, Maurizio Busacca, Ugo Albisinni, Department of Radiology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna 40136, Italy
Donald Resnick, Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, VA Medical Center, San Diego 92103, United States
Author contributions: Bartalena T and Rinaldi MF designed the review and wrote the paper; Modolon C, Braccaioli L and Sverzellati N analyzed the data of the literature cited in this paper; Rossi G, Rimondi E and Busacca M helped with bibliographic research and edited the pictures and tables of the paper; Albisinni U and Resnick D reviewed the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Tommaso Bartalena, Department of Radiologiy, Poliambulatorio Privato Zappi Bartalena, Imola 40026, Italy. t.bartalena@email.it
Telephone: +39-542-42011 Fax: +39-542-010274
Received: July 9, 2010 Revised: August 23, 2010 Accepted: August 30, 2010 Published online: October 28, 2010
Abstract
AIM: To assess radiologists reporting rates of incidental vertebral compression fractures in imaging studies.
METHODS: We performed a review of the current literature on the prevalence and reporting rates of incidental vertebral compression fractures in radiologic examinations.
RESULTS: The bibliographic search revealed 12 studies: 7 studies using conventional radiology and 5 using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The loss of height cut-off to define a vertebral fracture varied from 15% to 25%. Fracture prevalence was high (mean 21.1%; range 9.5%-35%) in both radiographic and MDCT studies (mean 21.6% and 20.2%, respectively). Reporting rates were low with a mean value of 27.4% (range 0%-66.3%) and were significantly lower in MDCT than in radiographic studies (mean 8.1% vs 41.1%). Notably, recent studies showed lower reporting rates than older studies.
CONCLUSION: Many scientific studies have confirmed a high prevalence of vertebral compression fractures as incidental findings on imaging studies. However, the underreporting of these fractures, as determined in our study, may negatively affect patient care.
