What is the benefit of examining the lateral spine?
The latest technology for bone densitometry is imaging the spine in a side view (lateral view) in addition to the standard frontal view. This allows the radiologist to evaluate for compression fractures of the spine. Compression fractures of the spine can cause false negative bone density readings without the lateral view. This is important because patients with spinal compression fractures are at a much higher risk for osteoporosis and future fracture risk. Lateral views also help to determine if osteoarthritis is present.
