Osteoporosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Osteoporosis, including details on symptoms, treatment, prevention, causes.

Osteoporosis is associated with increased marrow fat content and decreased marrow fat unsaturation: a proton MR spectroscopy study.

Yeung DK, Griffith JF, Antonio GE, Lee FK, Woo J, Leung PC

Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. dkyeung@cuhk.edu.hk

PURPOSE: To use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) to evaluate vertebral marrow fat, and to determine whether bone density correlates with fat content and fat unsaturation levels in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-three women (mean age = 70 years) underwent dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and (1)H-MRS, and 12 young female controls (mean age = 28 years) underwent (1)H-MRS of the lumber spine. Water and lipid peak amplitudes were measured to calculate fat content and fat unsaturation index. Spearman's correlation tests and a t-test comparison of means were applied. RESULTS: (1)H-MRS was successful in 15 normal, 15 osteopenic, and 20 osteoporotic subjects, and in all controls. Marrow fat content was significantly elevated in osteoporotic (65.5% +/- 10%) and osteopenic (63.5% +/- 9.3%) subjects compared to normal subjects (56.3% +/- 11.2%) and young controls (29% +/- 9.6%). The fat unsaturation index was significantly decreased in osteoporotic (0.091 +/- 0.013) and osteopenic (0.097 +/- 0.014) subjects compared to normal subjects (0.114 +/- 0.016) and young controls (0.127 +/- 0.031). A good inverse correlation was observed between the fat content and the unsaturation index (r(s) = -0.53, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Osteoporosis is associated with increased marrow fat. As marrow fat increases, saturated lipids appear to increase preferentially to unsaturated lipids.

Published 25 July 2005 in J Magn Reson Imaging, 22(2): 279-85.
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