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.