Background/Purpose: Vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis are quite common and have a negative effect on quality of the life. But they may not be clinically detectable. Computed tomography (CT) is an appropriate method in examining and evaluating the vertebral fractures because it shows bone details accurately, clearly and quickly. Stereology is a science which is used to obtain quantitative data about the structure using two-dimensional section from the three dimensional structures. In this study, we aimed to describe a new method that demonstrates objectively the decrease percentage of the volume of the fractured vertebral body according to the average volume of the neighboring vertebrae using the volume intervertebral volume index (IVF).

Methods: Forty women, who admitted to the Ondokuz Mayis University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and who were diagnosed with osteoporosis by bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture by routine thoracolumbar radiographs, were included in the study. CT images of the patients were taken with 3 mm thickness in axial plane were converted to the sagittal orientation. Vertebrae volumes were calculated using the Cavalieri principle, which is one of the stereological methods in ImageJ software. Reduction in the volume of the fractured vertebra was calculated as percentages based on above and below vertebral volumes.

Results: It was determined that the measured volume of the fractured vertebra at each fracture level decreased by 67.70% compared to the expected vertebral volume that was calculated according to volumes of the above and below vertebrae of the fractured vertebra. In all patients, significant differences were determined between the average detected volume and the expected volume of the fractured vertebrae (p <0.001).

Conclusion: In this study, the method that we used may be cheap, safe and quick way for determining osteoporotic vertebral fracture volume as unbiased and the most accurate. This method, which allows obtaining objective data in the detection of vertebral fracture, does not require an additional procedure or equipment because of it is obtained from CT images which is routinely used in all radiology centers. Therefore, it can be suggested that this method may be used routinely.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/determination-of-the-osteoporotic-vertebral-fractures-by-a-new-quantitative-approachintervertebral-volume-index/