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Radiologic assessment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: diagnostic and prognostic implications

  • Musculoskeletal
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Abstract

As populations age osteoporosis becomes an increasingly important public health issue. Among osteoporotic fractures vertebral fractures are of particular relevance: they are the most common fractures, frequently are asymptomatic but have an important influence on prognosis and morbidity in the osteoporotic patient. Previous studies have suggested that these fractures are frequently not diagnosed and that radiologists miss a high percentage of osteoporotic, vertebral fractures present on lateral chest radiographs. The aims of this review are (1) to emphasize the important role that radiologists play in the accurate and clear reporting of vertebral fractures, (2) to provide guidance in assessing these fractures in radiographs, MRI and computed tomography imaging of the vertebral spine and (3) to sensitize the radiologist in diagnosing fractures in chest radiographs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Ave., A 367, P.O. Box 0628, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0628, USA

    Thomas M. Link

  2. Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute Hospital Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

  3. Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Radboud Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Cornelis van Kuijk

  4. Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Judith E. Adams

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  1. Thomas M. Link
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  2. Giuseppe Guglielmi
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  3. Cornelis van Kuijk
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  4. Judith E. Adams
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Correspondence to Thomas M. Link.

Additional information

The authors are members of the Osteoporosis Group of the European Society of Skeletal Radiology (ESSR).

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Link, T.M., Guglielmi, G., van Kuijk, C. et al. Radiologic assessment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: diagnostic and prognostic implications. Eur Radiol 15, 1521–1532 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-2773-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-2773-2

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