A delay in establishing the diagnosis of an occult fracture of the hip that remains unrecognised after plain radiography can result in more complex treatment such as an arthroplasty being required. This might be avoided by earlier diagnosis using MRI. The aim of this study was to investigate the best MR imaging sequence for diagnosing such fractures. From a consecutive cohort of 771 patients admitted between 2003 and 2011 with a clinically suspected fracture of the hip, we retrospectively reviewed the MRI scans of the 35 patients who had no evidence of a fracture on their plain radiographs. In eight of these patients MR scanning excluded a fracture but the remaining 27 patients had an abnormal scan: one with a fracture of the pubic ramus, and in the other 26 a T₁-weighted coronal MRI showed a hip fracture with 100% sensitivity. T₂-weighted imaging was undertaken in 25 patients, in whom the diagnosis could not be established with this scanning sequence alone, giving a sensitivity of 84.0% for T₂-weighted imaging.

If there is a clinical suspicion of a hip fracture with normal radiographs, T₁-weighted coronal MRI is the best sequence of images for identifying a fracture.

Objective. Comparison of clinical outcome after Percutaneous Vertebro Plasty (PVP) for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (OVCFs) between patients with and without Intra Vertebral Clefts (IVCs). Background. PVP is a common treatment modality for painful OVCFs. Patients presenting with OVCFs with an IVC, also described as avascular necrosis of the vertebral body or intravertebral pseuadoarthrosis, are thought to represent a specific subgroup: filling the cleft might result in immediate and possibly superior pain relief due to stabilization of the excessive mobility associated with an IVC and the risk for cement leakage might be decreased due to its cavitational nature. Methods. 102 patients with 197 OVCFs were prospectively recruited for follow-up using a 0–10 Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale (PI-NRS) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Quality of Life questionnaire before PVP and at 7 days (PI-NRS only), 1, 3 and 12 months after PVP. Cement leakage was assessed on direct post-operative CT-scanning. At 6 and 52 weeks and at suspicion, patients were analyzed for new fractures. From blinded data two experienced musculoskeletal interventional radiologists retrospectively assessed all treated OVCFs for the presence of an IVC, defined as an abnormal, well-demarcated, linear or cystic hypointensity on MRI T1-weighted sequences and/or hyperintensity on MRI T2 STIR-sequences and/or the evident cleft filling on post-PVP CT-scanning. Outcome of patients with and without IVCs was compared using multivariate analysis correcting for confounders. For the purpose of comparison, a subgroup of all patients with PVP in isolated OVCFs was assessed as well. Results. In 48 OVCFs in 48 of 102 patients an IVC was identified (47.1%). Outcome regarding PI-NRS and SF-36 was comparable between both groups. In 42 patients who received PVP in only one OVCF, 21 clefts were detected. Despite similar baseline values, average back pain after PVP was significantly higher over time in patients with an IVC (1.1 point, p=0.03) but ultimately comparably lower at 12 months (4.4 and 4.3 points, p < 0.001). Outcome regarding SF-36 was comparable, as was occurrence of new OVCFs after PVP. The presence of an IVC was identified as a strong risk factor (OR 4.3, p=0.004) for occurrence of cortical (intradiscal) cement leakage. Conclusion. In patients with long-standing OVCFs, an IVC is a common entity. Patients with OVCFs with an IVC benefit from PVP, but do not comprehend a superior treatment indication. Overall benefit from PVP was comparable to patients without an IVC. In patients with treated isolated OVCFs with an IVC, average back pain is higher over the first year after PVP but ultimately comparable. Furthermore, an IVC is associated with an increased risk for cortical (intradiscal) cement leakage

An MR scan was performed on all patients who presented to our hospital with a clinical diagnosis of a fracture of the proximal femur, but who had no abnormality on plain radiographs. This was a prospective study of 102 consecutive patients over a ten-year period. There were 98 patients who fulfilled our inclusion criteria, of whom 75 were scanned within 48 hours of admission, with an overall mean time between admission and scanning of 2.4 days (0 to 10). A total of 81 patients (83%) had abnormalities detected on MRI; 23 (23%) required operative management.

The use of MRI led to the early diagnosis and treatment of occult hip pathology. We recommend that incomplete intertrochanteric fractures are managed non-operatively with protected weight-bearing. The study illustrates the high incidence of fractures which are not apparent on plain radiographs, and shows that MRI is useful when diagnosing other pathology such as malignancy, which may not be apparent on plain films.