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Intravertebral cleft in pathological vertebral collapse resulting from cancer metastasis: report of three cases

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Abstract

Intravertebral cleft (IVC) is a common finding in osteoporotic compression fracture. However, since the vertebral collapse attributable to cancer metastasis is rarely associated with IVC, the phenomenon is generally considered as a sign of a benign lesion. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the radiographs, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance images of 111 patients with spinal metastasis. Three cases (2.7 %) had IVC in the collapsed thoracic vertebral bodies (T7, T8, and T11) attributable to cancer metastasis. IVC alone is not necessarily an indicator of a benign vertebral collapse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital, 2-15-3, Kawagishi-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8566, Japan

    Hiroshi Hatano & Taro Sasaki

  2. Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Regeneration and Transplant Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan

    Naoki Oike, Takashi Ariizumi & Hiroyuki Kawashima

Authors
  1. Hiroshi Hatano
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  2. Naoki Oike
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  3. Takashi Ariizumi
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  4. Taro Sasaki
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  5. Hiroyuki Kawashima
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroshi Hatano.

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All procedure performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Hatano, H., Oike, N., Ariizumi, T. et al. Intravertebral cleft in pathological vertebral collapse resulting from cancer metastasis: report of three cases. Skeletal Radiol 45, 1747–1750 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-016-2505-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-016-2505-5

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