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Preliminary study for prediction of benign vertebral compression fracture age by quantitative water fraction using modified Dixon sequences: an imaging biomarker of fracture age

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate whether quantitative water fraction parameters could predict fracture age in patients with benign vertebral compression fractures (VCFs).

Methods

A total of 38 thoracolumbar VCFs in 27 patients imaged using modified Dixon sequences for water fraction quantification on 3-T MRI were retrospectively reviewed. To calculate quantitative parameters, a radiologist independently measured the regions of interest in the bone marrow edema (BME) of the fractures. Furthermore, five features (BME, trabecular fracture line, condensation band, cortical or end plate fracture line, and paravertebral soft-tissue change) were analyzed. The fracture age was evaluated based on clear-onset symptoms and previously available images. A correlation analysis between the fracture age and water fraction was evaluated using a linear regression model, and a multivariable analysis of the dichotomized fracture age model was performed.

Results

The water fraction ratio was the only significant factor and was negatively correlated with the fracture age of VCFs in multiple linear regression (p = 0.047), whereas the water fraction was not significantly correlated (p = 0.052). Water fraction and water fraction ratio were significant factors in differentiating the fracture age of 1 year in multiple logistic regression (odds ratio 0.894, p = 0.003 and odds ratio 0.986, p = 0.019, respectively). Using a cutoff of 0.524 for the water fraction, the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.857, 85.7%, and 87.1%, respectively.

Conclusions

Water fraction is a good imaging biomarker for the fracture healing process. The water fraction ratio of the compression fractures can be used to predict the fracture age of benign VCFs.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government, Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIP, 2022R1F1A1071702).

Funding

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government, Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIP, 2022R1F1A1071702).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, and Center for Clinical Imaging Data Science (CCIDS), Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea

    Ja Ho Koo, Joohee Lee, Kyunghwa Han, Ho-Taek Song & Young Han Lee

  2. Department of Biostatistics and Computing, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, South Korea

    Leeha Ryu

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  1. Ja Ho Koo
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  2. Joohee Lee
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Contributions

Conceptualization was performed by YHL; methodology was done by JHK, YHL; formal analysis was provided by JHK, LR, KH; data curation was gathered by JHK, YHL; writing was done by JHK, YHL; review & editing did by JL, H-TS; supervision was conducted by YHL, H-TS; funding acquisition was given by YHL.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Young Han Lee.

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Competing interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This retrospective study from a single tertiary center was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Yonsei University’s Health System and was granted a waiver of written informed consent for the use of data. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The study was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The authors have complete control of the data and information submitted for publication.

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Koo, J.H., Lee, J., Han, K. et al. Preliminary study for prediction of benign vertebral compression fracture age by quantitative water fraction using modified Dixon sequences: an imaging biomarker of fracture age. Radiol med 128, 970–977 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-023-01662-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-023-01662-1

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