Significance of intervertebral disc fluid sign in differentiating benign and malignant vertebral collapse - magnetic resonance

Aim: 1. to determine significance of intervertebral disc fluid sign in differentiating benign and malignant vertebral collapse. 2.Accuracy of intervertebral disc fluid sign in determining osteoporotic vertebral collapse. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in department of radiology and orthopedics .Study subjects belonging to all age groups, those who attended radiology and orthopedics department were included in the study.Detailed clinical history was taken and subjects were subjected to imaging and statistical analysis was done. Results: Presence of intravertebral fluid sign was found to be statistically insignificant for malignant etiology (P>0.05). Presence of intravertebral fluid sign was found to be statistically significant for osteoporotic collapse (P= 0.002). Conclusion: MRI is the reliable method to differentiate between benign and malignant compression fracture.MRI characteristics presence of fluid sign which allow early differentiation of benign and malignant vertebral fractures were studied. Presence of intravertebral fluid sign was found to be statistically significant for osteoporotic collapse. As fluid sign is one of the feature in acute vertebral compression fracture which is depicted as bone marrow edema .Fluid sign is one the additional feature most commonly seen in osteoporosis and rarely seen in vertebral fracture in metastatic etiology.