Is quantitative magnetic resonance imaging valuable in the assessment Is quantitative magnetic resonance imaging valuable in the assessment of trabecular bone structure in osteoporosis?
Nil Tokgöz1, Mualla Akdeniz1, Murat Uçar1, Koray Kılıç1, Azim Çelik2
1Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty of Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
2GE Medical Systems, İstanbul, Turkey
Keywords: Lumbar vertebrae; magnetic resonance imaging; osteoporosis; photon absorptiometry.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the value of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of bone trabeculae in osteoporosis by comparing the results with dual-energy X-ray (DXA) absorptiometry.
Patients and methods: The study consisted of 85 postmenopausal women (mean age 57.2 years; range 43 to 83 years) underwent both DXA absorptiometry and lumbar quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. T2 a nd T 2* values were calculated by magnetic resonance imaging and the results were compared with bone mineral density.
Results: According to bone mineral density t-scores; there were 32 normal, 30 osteopenic, and 23 osteoporotic patients. T2 values of L1- L4 were different in normal with osteoporotic, and the osteopenic with osteoporotic groups. There were increased T2 values with reducing t-scores. Comparing the normal and osteopenic groups, no statistical difference was found in T2 measurements of lumbar vertebrae, except L4. T2* values of L1-L4 vertebrae were not statistically different between the study groups.
Conclusion: T2 m easurements o f l umbar v ertebra o n quantitative magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in evaluation of bone trabeculae in osteoporosis, and may also be helpful in differentiation of osteoporotic from normal, and osteopenic from osteoporotic patients.