Percutaneous vertebroplasty: relationship between vertebral body bone marrow edema pattern on MR images and initial clinical response.

Purpose: To prospectively investigate the relationship between initial clinical response and bone marrow edema pattern on preprocedural magnetic resonance (MR) images in vertebral bodies selected for percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval and written informed consent were obtained. PVP was performed for osteoporotic compression fractures in 80 consecutive patients (mean age, 72.4 years; range, 44–85 years; 67 women and 14 men; 157 vertebrae). Patients were divided into three groups according to the proportion of the vertebra in which the bone marrow edema pattern was observed on sagittal MR images: group 1, 50% or more of the vertebra; group 2, less than 50%; group 3, no edema pattern observed. By using Wilcoxon rank sum test, Fisher exact test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test, groups were examined for differences in treatment efficacy, which was defined as the difference between preprocedural and postprocedural pain as assessed by means of visual analo...