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Updated: Jun 16, 2025
Assessment of Bone Fracture Healing Using Micro-Computed Tomography
Published on: December 9, 2022
Hounsfield units in assessing bone mineral density in ankylosing spondylitis patients with cervical
Zhong-Ya Gao1, Wei-Lin Peng1, Yang Li1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China.
Background:
Cervical spine fracture-dislocations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are mostly unstable and require surgery. However, osteoporosis, one of the comorbidities for AS, could lead to detrimental prognoses. There are few accurate assessments of bone mineral density in AS patients.
Aim:
To analyze Hounsfield units (HUs) for assessing bone mineral density in AS patients with cervical fracture-dislocation.
Methods:
The HUs from C2 to C7 of 51 patients obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans and three-dimensional reconstruction of the cervical spine were independently assessed by two trained spinal surgeons and statistically analyzed. Inter-reader reliability and agreement were assessed by interclass correlation coefficient.
Results:
The HUs decreased gradually from C2 to C7. The mean values of the left and right levels were significantly higher than those in the middle. Among the 51 patients, 25 patients (49.02%) may be diagnosed with osteoporosis, and 16 patients (31.37%) may be diagnosed with osteopenia.
Conclusion:
The HUs obtained by cervical spine CT are feasible for assessing bone mineral density with excellent agreement in AS patients with cervical fracture-dislocation.
