Treatment of closed metacarpal neck, shaft, and intra-articular fractures of the base of the fifth metacarpal with percutaneous transverse pinning, using two K-wires distally and one proximally, has shown excellent functional and anatomic outcome.

The aim of this study was to (1) generate quantitative CT (QCT) densitometric data based on routine abdominal multi-detector (MDCT) examinations and (2) investigate whether these data can be used to differentiate osteoporotic from healthy females. Twenty-five female patients (group A) with a history of radiotherapy were examined both with routine abdominal MDCT and standard QCT to generate a MDCT-to-QCT conversion equation. Twenty-one osteoporotic (group B) and 23 healthy female patients (group C) were also recruited in the study. Patients of groups B and C underwent routine abdominal MDCT examination for various clinical indications. Mean bone mineral density (BMD) in patients of group A was 103.4 mg/ml +/- 32.8 with routine abdominal MDCT and 91.0 mg/ml +/- 28.5 with QCT. Quantitative CT BMD(QCT) values for patients in groups B and C were calculated utilizing the BMD(MDCT) values derived from routine abdominal MDCT data sets and the MDCT to QCT conversion equation: BMD(QCT)=0:78 x BMD(MDCT) + 10:13. The calculated QCT densitometric data adequately differentiated osteoporotic from healthy females (area under ROC curve 0.828, p = 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that in a group of female patients, QCT data derived from routine abdominal MDCT examinations discriminated osteoporotic from healthy subjects.

In transpedicular surgical operations, the pedicle should be safely penetrated. In this study, we hypothesize that morpho-densitometric data describing the physical status of the pedicle isthmus in osteoporotic versus control postmenopausal women may be generated using high-resolution three-dimensional images obtained from routine abdominal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans. Thus, 32 osteoporotic and 38 postmenopausal control women had a routine abdominal scan using a 16-row CT scanner. Images of the pedicle isthmus of the L2-L4 vertebrae were generated at the plane that was vertical to the pedicle axis. Several indices were calculated based on the measurements of outer and inner dimension of the pedicle isthmus, pedicle isthmus area, and pedicle isthmus endosteal area. The mean Hounsfield unit number within the isthmus endosteal area (HU(IEA)) and the trabecular portion of the vertebral body (HU(VERT)) were measured. All subjects had a dual X-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA) in the lumbar spine. Most of the indices calculated showed statistically significant differences between osteoporotic and control women. HU(IEA) was significantly correlated to T-score (r = 0.580, P < 0.0001). HU(IEA) showed the best discriminatory ability between the two groups (area under ROC curve, 0.840). Routine abdominal MDCT can be used to assess the morpho-densitometric characteristics of the lumbar pedicle isthmus and differentiate osteoporotic from control postmenopausal women.