ObjectiveTo assess incremental values of ⁹⁹Tc^m-MDP SPECT/CT bone scan imaging by semi-quantitative analysis indexes for osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women.

MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 81 postmenopausal women patients diagnosed and treated for back pain from November 2012 to October 2016. All patients were diagnosed with osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures. All patients underwent ⁹⁹Tc^m-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging, and techniques for ROI were repeatedly applied to draw sagittal imaging sites of regional uptake in ROI, to record the number of radioactive counting of lesions (T) and adjacent normal vertebral sagittal imaging (NT), and to calculate T/NT ratio. Patients were divided into two groups. One group was treated by vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty after ⁹⁹Tc^m-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging, and the other was treated with conservative treatment. T/NT ratios of the two groups were statistically analyzed.

ResultsA total of 110 vertebral fractures were treated by vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty after ⁹⁹Tc^m-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging, and 70 vertebral fractures were treated with conservative treatment. T/NT ratio of fractures reached 2.44±0.84 and 1.04±0.14, respectively (t=13.654, P < 0.05), after treatment with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty; and conservative treatment. Some concurrent lesions which were absent in X-ray or MRI were detected by SPECT/CT, for example, 29 rib fractures and 2 sacrum fractures.

Conclusion⁹⁹Tc^m-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging by semi-quantitative analysis can effectively guide treatment of vertebral compression fractures.