Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40488870›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025

Novel CT-based vertebral three-dimensional Hounsfield unit for assessment of bone mineral density.

Rongkun Chang, Yang You, Lijun Cai, Feng Chang, Jinxin Gu, Jing Song, Jizhe Zhang, Zebin Wang, Qiujiang Li, Lei Liang

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in 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. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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
  3. Review
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

10 authors.

Rongkun ChangPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Yang YouPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Lijun CaiPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China. lijun-cai1801@163.com.
Feng ChangShanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
Jinxin GuPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Jing SongPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Jizhe ZhangTianjin TianShi College, Tianjin, China.
Zebin WangShanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
Qiujiang LiWest China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Lei LiangPeople's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.

Funding

Ningxia Science and Technology Benefit People Project 2022CMG03043
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aimed to establish a novel index, three-dimensional Hounsfield unit (3D-HU), to assess bone density, and evaluated its correlation with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scores.

methodsThis study reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who underwent lumbar spine computed tomography (CT) and DXA at our hospital within one week. Patients were divided into osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic groups according to T-score. Demographics information and radiological parameters were compared. Using preoperative CT scanning of the lumbar spine, the novel 3D-HU was measured for each patient. DXA scores were obtained and were compared to 3D-HU using multivariate logistic regression analyses and Pearson correlation.

resultsThis study involved 612 vertebrae from 191 patients. Among them, 134 were found to have a T-score ≤ -2.5. Multivariate analysis showed that lower 3D-HU and body mass index (BMI) were independent predictors for osteoporosis. Correlation analysis revealed that 3D-HU was highly correlated with bone mineral density (BMD) measured by DXA, and this correlation was consistently stronger than that of traditional HU. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that 3D-HU has high accuracy, excellent sensitivity, and specificity in the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

conclusionsThis is the first study to directly correlate the novel 3D-HU with the diagnosis of osteoporosis. We identified this novel index as a significant predictor of osteoporosis, and established a strong correlation between 3D-HU and the BMD of the lumbar spine.

Indexed as

Bone DensityImaging, Three-DimensionalLumbar VertebraeOsteoporosisTomography, X-Ray ComputedAbsorptiometry, PhotonAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective Studies3D technologyComputed tomographyHounsfield unitOsteoporosis

Identifiers

PMID40488870

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.