Haoran Qi1,2,3, Jun Qi4, Ye Sun5, Junying Gao6, Jianmin Sun7,8,9, Guodong Wang10. 1. Department of Spine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250000, China. 2. Department of Spine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China. 3. School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China. 4. Laboratory Department, Jinan Infectious Diseases Hospital, Jinan, 250000, China. 5. Pathological Department, Jinan Infectious Diseases Hospital, Jinan, 250000, China. 6. Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China. 7. Department of Spine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250000, China. JianminSun2020@163.com. 8. Department of Spine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China. JianminSun2020@163.com. 9. School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China. JianminSun2020@163.com. 10. Department of Spine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250000, China. spine2019@163.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The specific radiological feature of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) is bone marrow oedema (BME) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the relationship between BME and back pain (BP) is unclear. We investigated the value of MRI in assessing BP and discussed the relevant mechanisms by tissue biopsy. METHODS: One hundred nineteen patients with thoracolumbar OVCFs were included in this study. We divided all patients into two groups: the low-oedema group (BME ≤ 75%) and the high-oedema group (BME > 75%). To reduce the error generated in the acute phase of fracture, we separately analysed patients in phases I (within one month) and II (more than one month). We compared the differences between the groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and investigated the correlations using Spearman's correlation test. RESULTS: The degree of BP was significantly correlated with BME (p < 0.001; p < 0.001) and fibrous tissue content (p = 0.006; p = 0.035) in both phases. Further, the fibrous tissue content in the low-oedema group (12.49 ± 7.37%; 15.25 ± 13.28%) was significantly lower than that in the high-oedema group (25.68 ± 20.39%, p = 0.014; 23.92 ± 14.61%, p = 0.022) in both phases. The lamellar bone content was significantly correlated with BP (p = 0.021) in phase II. CONCLUSIONS: BME signals on MRI can accurately predict the degree of BP, and the main mechanisms are related to the stimulation of fibrous tissue.
PURPOSE: The specific radiological feature of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) is bone marrow oedema (BME) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the relationship between BME and back pain (BP) is unclear. We investigated the value of MRI in assessing BP and discussed the relevant mechanisms by tissue biopsy. METHODS: One hundred nineteen patients with thoracolumbar OVCFs were included in this study. We divided all patients into two groups: the low-oedema group (BME ≤ 75%) and the high-oedema group (BME > 75%). To reduce the error generated in the acute phase of fracture, we separately analysed patients in phases I (within one month) and II (more than one month). We compared the differences between the groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and investigated the correlations using Spearman's correlation test. RESULTS: The degree of BP was significantly correlated with BME (p < 0.001; p < 0.001) and fibrous tissue content (p = 0.006; p = 0.035) in both phases. Further, the fibrous tissue content in the low-oedema group (12.49 ± 7.37%; 15.25 ± 13.28%) was significantly lower than that in the high-oedema group (25.68 ± 20.39%, p = 0.014; 23.92 ± 14.61%, p = 0.022) in both phases. The lamellar bone content was significantly correlated with BP (p = 0.021) in phase II. CONCLUSIONS: BME signals on MRI can accurately predict the degree of BP, and the main mechanisms are related to the stimulation of fibrous tissue.
Authors: M H J Voormolen; W J van Rooij; Y van der Graaf; P N M Lohle; L E H Lampmann; J R Juttmann; M Sluzewski Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2006-05 Impact factor: 3.825