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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability
Published on: April 23, 2021
MDCT in suspected lumbar spine fracture: comparison of standard and reduced dose settings using iterative
J M Weinrich1, L Well1, M Regier1
1Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Aim:
To compare standard (SD-) and reduced-dose computed tomography (RD-CT) in combination with iterative reconstruction (IR) in emergency patients with suspected lumbar spine fracture.
Material And Methods:
Forty emergency patients with suspected lumbar spinal disorder who underwent RD-CT and 40 body mass index-matched patients undergoing SD-CT were enrolled in this retrospective study. Raw data for RD-CT were reconstructed using two increasing IR levels (IRL) 4 and 6, while SD-CT was reconstructed with IRL3. Two radiologists assessed image quality, image noise, and reader confidence in interpreting findings of spinal fractures in a blinded manner.
Results:
Effective radiation dose was reduced by 50% using RD-CT. Overall subjective image quality (SIQ) was high for both protocols and slightly superior in the RD-CT protocol for both IRL compared to SD-CT. The detection rate of spinal disorders was high for both protocols with a high interobserver agreement.
Conclusion:
RD-CT with higher levels of IR results in substantial dose reduction of 50% in lumbar spine CT while maintaining an excellent subjective image quality resulting in a high diagnostic confidence.
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