Demographic characteristics of patients undergoing bone biopsiesa
| Total | Manual | Battery-Powered | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | 585 | 314 | 271 | |
| Age (mean ± SD) | 62 ± 13 | 62 ± 13 | 61 ± 12 | .541 |
| Sex (M/F) | 305:280 | 173:141 | 132:139 | .135 |
| Suspected origin of primary disease | .103 | |||
| Boneb | 41.7 (244) | 38.9 (122) | 45 (122) | |
| Prostate | 3.8 (22) | 4.5 (14) | 3.0 (8) | |
| Breast | 10.4 (61) | 11.5 (36) | 9.2 (25) | |
| Lung | 2.9 (17) | 4.8 (15) | 0.7 (2) | |
| Kidney | 0.7 (4) | 1.0 (3) | 0.4 (1) | |
| Systemicc | 0.7 (4) | 1.0 (3) | 0.4 (1) | |
| Liver | 0.3 (2) | 0.6 (2) | 0 (0) | |
| Bladder | 1.7 (10) | 1.6 (5) | 1.8 (5) | |
| Miscellaneousd | 8.5 (50) | 9.2 (29) | 7.7 (21) | |
| Unestablished/unknowne | 27 (158) | 24.8 (78) | 29.5 (80) | |
| Blood | 2.2 (13) | 2.2 (7) | 2.2 (6) | |
| Location of bone lesion | .16 | |||
| Vertebral column | 47.0 (275) | 45.2 (142) | 49.1 (133) | |
| Cervical | 0.6 (4) | 0.1 (4) | 0 (0) | |
| Thoracic | 17.9 (105) | 16.2 (51) | 19.9 (54) | |
| Lumbar | 17.3 (101) | 17.5 (55) | 17.0 (46) | |
| Sacral | 11.1 (65) | 10.2 (32) | 12.2 (33) | |
| Pelvis | 36.9 (216) | 39.5 (124) | 33.9 (92) | |
| Extremity | 8.4 (49) | 10.5 (33) | 5.9 (16) | |
| Miscellaneousf | 0.5 (3) | 0.6 (2) | 0.4 (1) | |
| Disc | 7.2 (42) | 4.1 (13) | 10.7 (29) |
↵a Values for frequency of suspected origin of primary disease and lesion location represent percentages followed by total number of cases in parentheses.
↵b Primary bone lesions include suspected multiple myeloma from laboratory testing.
↵c Predominantly sarcoidosis.
↵d Includes thyroid, salivary gland, vulvar, tongue, melanoma, and anal cancers.
↵e Includes all cases without known malignancy or suspected primary bone lesion.
↵f Includes sternum, ribs, clavicle, scapula, calvaria, and tarsal bones.