Diagnostic Value of Plain Radiography for Symptomatic Bone Metastasis at the First Visit

To prevent and minimize skeletal-related diseases, early diagnosis of bone metastases is important. However, previous reports have shown that plain radiography has low sensitivity and fails to screen multiple asymptomatic lesions. Limited investigations have been reported on the value of plain radiography in the diagnosis of symptomatic bone metastases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of plain radiography for symptomatic bone metastasis.

Two experienced orthopedic surgeons retrospectively evaluated the plain radiographs of 39 patients with symptoms during their first visit between 2011 and 2014 for bone metastases. Another 2 experienced orthopedic surgeons then reviewed the data using 2 reference standards, the clinical results and the retrospectively evaluated results, in a blinded manner. The data were then reviewed by 2 certified orthopedic surgeons and 7 orthopedic surgeons in training with differing years of experience in a blinded manner.

The overall sensitivity of diagnosis of symptomatic bone metastasis using plain radiography at the clinic first visit was 71.4%. Upon blinded evaluation, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 55.8%, 54.3%, and 68.8% and 77.6%, 73.0%, and 85.7% for clinical results and results from 2 experienced orthopedic surgeons as a reference standard, retrospectively. There was a strong and significant correlation between the accuracy and observers' years of experience in orthopedic surgery among the orthopedic surgeons in training (R=0.942, p=0.0015).

Plain radiography around the time of the first visit has a definitive role in the early diagnosis of symptomatic bone metastasis.