Significance of Cervical Spine Computed Tomography Hounsfield Units to Predict Bone Mineral Density and the Subsidence After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

This study was a retrospective review. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation analysis between Hounsfield units (HU) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) based on the clinical results of patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. Summary of Background Data: There is no technique to directly measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the cervical spine. As computed tomography is a very popular preoperative planning modality, using the HU value from that analysis to predict osteoporosis is important for patient outcomes and applications in the clinical field. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records for 235 patients who underwent 1-level (n=120) or 2-level (n=115) ACDF surgery. In the 1-level ACDF group, the HU was measured from C3 to C6 vertebra, while that for the 2-level ACDF group was measured from 3 surgical index vertebrae. The correlation patterns were analyzed with the corresponding DXA (T-score) for each patient. Subsidence of fusion segment was defined as change in distance between plate-tip and upper (lower) margin of the vertebra (index level) after 4 months of follow-up. In addition, to determine the relevant factors that influence fusion segment subsidence, other preoperative (C2 slope, C7 slope, C2–C7 angle, and C2–C7 sagittal vertical axis) and postoperative parameters (coronal angle and segmental angle change) were measured. Results: The correlation coefficient ...
Source: Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques - Category: Surgery Tags: Primary Research Source Type: research