Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37735402›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2023

Combinations of two imaging parameters to improve bone mineral density (BMD) assessment in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.

Wenshuai Li, Houze Zhu, Hongsen Tian, Tong Tong, Zijian Hua, Xuan Zhao, Yong Shen, Linfeng Wang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Abdominal aortic calcification and functional recovery in patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a retrospective cohort study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Diagnostic performance of lumbar computed tomography Hounsfield unit thresholds for osteoporosis and osteopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Review
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  7. Predictive value of vertebral specificity of bone mineral density for cage subsidence among patients undergoing anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion: a retrospective study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Wenshuai Li *Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Houze Zhu *Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Hongsen TianDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Tong TongDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Zijian HuaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Xuan ZhaoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Yong ShenDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Linfeng WangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Street, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, People's Republic of China. wanglinfenglaoshi@163.com.
Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University · CNHebei Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo explore whether combining the Hounsfield unit (HU) values and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores can improve the BMD assessment in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.

methodsThe HU values were measured by CT image, and VBQ scores were calculated by lumbar MRI image. The correlations of the opportunistic imaging parameters to the lowest T-scores were analyzed. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy in detecting osteoporosis. Finally, the specificity and sensitivity of different combined methods of the HU values and VBQ scores in the diagnosis of osteoporosis were compared.

resultsPatients with osteoporosis had the lowest HU values and the highest VBQ scores. The correlation coefficients between the VBQ scores and the T-scores were smaller than HU values (L1 HU value: 0.702; average HU value:0.700; L1 VBQ score: -0.413; VBQ score: -0.386). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the HU values were greater than those of the VBQ scores, and the AUCs of the L1 VBQ score were similar to the VBQ score (L1 HU value: 0.850; average HU value:0.857; L1 VBQ score: 0.704; VBQ score: 0.673). When combining the two imaging parameters in series, the specificity of the detection of osteoporosis was improved (L1 HU value and L1 VBQ score: 87.3%; Average HU value and VBQ score: 85.9%). When combining the two imaging parameters in parallel, the sensitivity of the detection of osteoporosis was improved (L1 HU value or L1 VBQ score: 88.1%; Average HU value or VBQ score: 91.5%).

conclusionsCombinations of the HU values and VBQ scores could improve the diagnostic performance of osteoporosis. In addition, considering the same diagnostic performance but easier measurement, parameters at the single-segment level were recommended to assist in the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Indexed as

Bone DensityOsteoporosisArea Under CurveDiagnostic ImagingHumansLumbosacral RegionHounsfield unitsLumbar degenerative diseaseOsteoporosisVertebral bone quality

Identifiers

PMID37735402
PMCPMC10512586
OpenAlexW4386933410

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.