Advances in MR imaging of vertebral collapse

Vertebral collapse is a frequently encountered entity in clinical practice. While diagnosing acute, benign traumatic types is usually not complicated, difficulties arise in determining the etiology of vertebral collapse when there is no history of significant trauma, especially in older populations. Considering up to one-third of vertebral collapse in patients with a known primary malignancy are benign, the diagnosis becomes even more difficult when there is a history of malignancy. Additionally, because primary cancer patients may be immunocompromised, the possibility of infectious vertebral collapse should also be entertained. The purpose of this article is to review all recent magnetic resonance imaging aspects of differentiating osteoporotic, malignant, and infectious vertebral collapse.