Magnetic Susceptibility and Fat Content in the Lumbar Spine of Postmenopausal Women With Varying Bone Mineral Density.

TitleMagnetic Susceptibility and Fat Content in the Lumbar Spine of Postmenopausal Women With Varying Bone Mineral Density.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsGuo Y, Chen Y, Zhang X, Mei Y, Yi P, Wang Y, Feng Q, La Tegola L, Guglielmi G, Zhang X, Feng Y
JournalJ Magn Reson Imaging
Volume49
Issue4
Pagination1020-1028
Date Published2019 04
ISSN1522-2586
KeywordsAdipose Tissue, Aged, Biomarkers, Bone Density, Female, Fracture Healing, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Lumbar Vertebrae, Middle Aged, Observer Variation, Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal, Postmenopause, Risk, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by low bone mass with increased fracture risk. Quantitative imaging biomarkers are important for accurately predicting fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis.

PURPOSE: To prospectively study the changes of magnetic susceptibility and fat content in the lumbar spine of postmenopausal females with varying bone mineral density (BMD), and investigate their application to osteoporosis assessment.

STUDY TYPE: Cohort.

POPULATION: In all, 108 postmenopausal females (58.2 ± 6.7 [range 45-79] years old).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) performed on a 64-detector CT scanner; quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and mDixon quant MR imaging performed using a 3.0T imaging system with a 16-channel posterior coil.

ASSESSMENT: QCT, QSM, and mDixon were performed in 108 postmenopausal females to measure vertebral BMD, susceptibility, and proton-density fat fraction (PDFF). Mean vertebral QSM and PDFF were compared among three BMD cohorts (normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic). Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of QSM, PDFF, and QSM+PDFF for assessing osteoporosis.

STATISTICAL TESTS: Parameters were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson test.

RESULTS: Compared with that of the normal BMD group (-17.0 ± 43.6 ppb), vertebral QSM was significantly increased in osteopenia (30.8 ± 47.0 ppb, P < 0.001), and further increased in osteoporosis (82.0 ± 39.9 ppb, P < 0.001). QSM was negatively correlated with BMD (r = -0.70, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with PDFF (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). Compared with the area under the curve (AUC) of PDFF, the AUC of QSM was higher in differentiating between normal and osteoporosis (P = 0.44), and between osteopenia and osteoporosis (P = 0.13), but without statistical significance. The AUC of QSM+PDFF was significantly higher than that of PDFF for differentiating between osteopenia and osteoporosis (0.82 vs. 0.70, P = 0.039).

DATA CONCLUSION: The combination of vertebral susceptibility and fat content may be a promising marker for assessing postmenopausal osteoporosis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1020-1028.

DOI10.1002/jmri.26279
Alternate JournalJ Magn Reson Imaging
PubMed ID30252983
Grant List81871349 / / National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China / International
81801653 / / National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China / International
61671228 / / National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China / International
61728107 / / National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China / International
2017B090912006 / / The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province / International
Related Institute: 
MRI Research Institute (MRIRI)

Weill Cornell Medicine
Department of Radiology
525 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065