Todd Stuart Miller MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Seong Cheol Oh MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Allan L. Brook MD, Abstract Co-Author: Advisor, CareFusion Corporation

To demonstrate that previously degenerated discs can regain height and maintain height gain over time. 

86 patients who had undergone vertebroplasty from our institution between 2005 and 2009 were retrospectively identified as means of reviewing patients with vertebral body fractures. Patients who had MR imaging of the spine more than 1 year after the time of their vertebral fracture were then selected, some of whom had multiple fracture levels. For each fractured vertebral level, the disc above and below was measured by determining the greatest craniocaudal dimension near or at the midpoint of each intervertebral disc on midsagittal T2 images, using T1 weighted images in equivocal cases. The disc levels were then divided into thoracic and lumbar groups and average heights at the time of vertebral fracture and at the patient's most recent study were compared.  

22 discs from 5 spines were included in the final analysis group. The mean follow up time of the disc levels was 797 days. The post-fracture disk space was greater compared to the pre-fracture disk space in 15 out of 22 disc levels. The mean height of the thoracic group for pre- and post-fracture disc level was 7.7 and 9.6 mm, respectively. The mean height of the lumbar group for pre- and post-fracture disc level was 13.8 and 14.0 mm, respectively. 

Disc heights after vertebral body fractures increased in more than 68% of our analysis group. The gain in height was maintained for greater than one year after the fracture.  The disc adjacent to a fractured vertebral body expands to take the space of the vertebral body height lost.

This small case series demonstrates that discs may re-expand and maintain their gain in height. There is considerable interest in regenerating desiccated intervertebral discs. In vivo success in human

Miller, T, Oh, S, Brook, A, Desiccated Discs Regain and Maintain Height Adjacent to Vertebral Body Compression Fractures.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12034622.html