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loss of height
Etiology:
- vertebral compression fracture
- degenerative disc disease
- scoliosis
- kyphosis
- malignancy
- vertebral metatastases
- multiple myeloma
- spinal infections
- spondylodiscitis
Clinical manifestations:
- people generally lose about 1 cm every 10 years after age 40;
- the loss is even greater after 70 years of age
- in total, 1-3 inches may be lost
- loss of height varies with
- physical activity
- diet
- osteoporosis
Radiology:
- dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the vertebrae
- osteoporosis*
- magnetic resonance imaging of spine
- osteoporosis
- vertebral compression fracture
- vertebral metatastases
- spinal infections
- X-ray of spine
- scoliosis, kyphosis, vertebral compression fracture
* DEXA scan is the Gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis & assessing fracture risk
- there is little evidence that DEXA is superior to MRI (other than expense & lack of standard in clinical practice for diagnosing osteoporosis) [1,2]
General
sign/symptom
References
- Expert Panel on Musculoskeletal Imaging; Yu JS, Krishna NG, Fox MG et al
ACR Appropriateness Criteria Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Density: 2022 Update.
J Am Coll Radiol. 2022 Nov;19(11S):S417-S432.
PMID: 36436967
- Martel D, Monga A, Chang G.
Osteoporosis Imaging.
Radiol Clin North Am. 2022 Jul;60(4):537-545.
PMID: 35672087 Review.
- MedlinePlus: Aging changes in body shape
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003998.htm