AJR:183, October 2004 949 steoporosis is a major public health concern. Recent evidence from clinical and epidemiologic trials on osteoporosis has increased the urgency for accurate diagnosis of vertebral fractures. Despite the fact that vertebral fractures...
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AJR:183, October 2004 949 steoporosis is a major public health concern. Recent evidence from clinical and epidemiologic trials on osteoporosis has increased the urgency for accurate diagnosis of vertebral fractures. Despite the fact that vertebral fractures are very common [1–8] and are associated with decreased quality of life [9–16], they are frequently undetected by clinicians [17, 18] and underdiagnosed by radiologists [19, 20]. We review the clinical consequences of vertebral fractures and explore the reasons why these fractures often evade diagnosis. More important, we urge radiologists to play a more active role in the diagnosis of vertebral fractures. Because many of the clinical consequences of vertebral fractures are preventable with prompt pharmacologic intervention, there is increasing rationale for accurate and unambiguous diagnosis of these fractures by radiologists. With an unambiguous approach to reporting of vertebral fractures, radiologists can make a significant contr
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