Comparison of Hounsfield units and vertebral bone quality score for the prediction of time to pathologic fracture in mobile spine metastases treated with radiotherapy

Abstract

The present results suggest that bone density surrogates as measured on CT, but not MRI, can be used to predict the risk of pathologic fracture following radiotherapy for mobile spine metastases. More extensive vertebral body involvement and the presence of mechanical axial pain additionally predict increased fracture odds.