Opportunistic screening of osteoporosis in lung transplant recipients: diagnostic value of pre-transplant thoracic CT using vertebral Hounsfield units

Pretransplant thoracic CT provides a clinically feasible and opportunistic screening approach to stratify osteoporosis risk in lung transplant candidates without additional radiation exposure. By quantifying T2 and T9 vertebral HU values, clinicians can identify high-risk patients for timely intervention, potentially reducing fracture-related morbidity.