MRI findings on healing process of vertebral fracture in osteoporosis

The healing process of vertebral fracture was investigated in 37 senile osteoporotic patients on serial magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs), including enhancement study with gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). The healing process was classified retrospectively into six categories in terms of the changes and recovery of T1 and T2 signal intensity and in terms of the local vascularity. Two types of damage foci were identified, and, in each type, three patterns of healing were noted. In the partial collapse type, the focus of damage in the fractured vertebral body was located near the cranial or caudal endplates; in the total collapse type, the focus was located at the center of the body. In each of these two types, fracture healing was smooth, belated, or resulted in nonunion. In the partial collapse type, vertebral fractures healed smoothly (smooth pattern) in 8 cases, belatedly (belated pattern) in 11, and resulted in nonunion (nonunion pattern) in 5. In the total collapse type, vertebral fractures healed smoothly (smooth pattern) in 6 cases, belatedly (belated pattern) in 4, and resulted in nonunion (nonunion pattern) in 3. The percent height of the anterior wall, central portion, and posterior wall was defined to allow accurate calculatation of the collapse of the fractured vertebral body. Chronological changes in the vertebral body height were investigated. Progressive collapse of the vertebral body was minimal in the smooth pattern cases, and most severe in the nonunion pattern cases. Statistical analysis indicated that prediction of the course of the fracture was difficult only with the height of the fractured vertebral body in acute phase. Enhancement study with Gd-DTPA showed that, in fractures with favorable prognosis, the ischemic area in the body tended to be smaller from the beginning, and restoration of vascularity was prompt. On the contrary, in fractures with unfavorable prognosis, the ischemic area was wider, and restoration of vascularity was poor.