Diagnostic performance of spectral CT in detecting bone marrow edema for vertebral fracture: A multi-reader study

Spectral CT showed good diagnostic accuracy, but also good discrimination capability in identifying the presence of BME in a vertebral body. Its diagnostic performance was very close to that of MRI. Thus, the detection of BME in a vertebral body by spectral CT greatly increased the probability of a recent or unhealed fracture in this vertebra. The present results suggest that the use of the spectral scanner to discriminate a recent or unhealed vertebral fracture from a union fracture could be considered.