Tomohiro Noda, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Tosiaki Miyati PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Naoki Ohno MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Harumasa Kasai MSc, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nobuyuki Arai MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Risa Yorimitsu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Makoto Kawano, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yuta Shibamoto MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess the structure of cancellous tissue in the vertebral bone marrow, we analyzed the restricted diffusion using diffusion kurtosis.

On a 1.5 T MRI, single-shot diffusion echo planar imaging was used with b values of 0, 20, 120, 500, 1200 and 2200 s/mm2, and a sensitivity encoding technique. Apparent diffusion kurtosis (Kapp) and apparent diffusion coefficient (Dapp) were calculated from diffusion kurtosis analysis based on non-Gaussian diffusion theory. Kapp and Dapp were determined in the lumbar vertebral body of seven normal subjects, and then compared with the bone mineral density (BMD) obtained with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Moreover, fat fraction (FF) of the bone marrow was measured with spectral presaturation with inversion recovery in the same subject.

A strong positive correlation was found between Kapp and BMD in the vertebral bone marrow (R2=0.76, P<0.05), and no significant correlation was noted between Kapp and FF in this region, showing the dependence on trabecular architecture. However, there was no significant correlation between Dapp and BMD, indicating the greater utility of the Kapp than that of the Dapp.

Water-restricted diffusion analysis with diffusion kurtosis makes it possible to obtain more detailed information on the structure of cancellous tissue and the bone metabolism.

Diffusion kurtosis analysis increases the amount of bone metabolic information, and may be useful for assessing bone aging, early degeneration in the cancellous tissue and diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Noda, T, Miyati, T, Ohno, N, Kasai, H, Arai, N, Yorimitsu, R, Kawano, M, Shibamoto, Y, Diffusion Kurtosis in the Vertebral Bone Marrow.  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13044237.html