Relationship between NMR transverse relaxation, trabecular bone architecture, and strength

Chung, H.<sup>1</sup>; Wehrli, F. W.<sup>1,3</sup>; Williams, J. L.<sup>2</sup>; Kugelmass, S. D.<sup>1</sup>

Affiliations

¹Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104

²Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104

³Present address: Department of Computer and Information Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102

Abstract

Structure, biomechanical competence, and incremental NMR line broadening (R'₂) of water in the intertrabecular spaces of cancellous bone were examined on 22 cylindrical specimens from the lumbar vertebral bodies of 16 human subjects 24-86 years old (mean, 60 years old). A strong association (r = 0.91; P < 0.0001) was found between Young's modulus of elasticity and R'₂ for a wide range of values corresponding to cancellous bone of very different morphologic composition. NMR line broadening is caused by the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field induced as a consequence of the coexistence of two adjacent phases of different diamagnetic susceptibility--i.e., mineralized bone and water in the marrow spaces. Structural analyses performed by means of NMR microscopy and digital image processing indicated that the variation in R'₂ is closely related to the trabecular microstructure. Mean trabecular plate density measured along the direction of the magnetic field was found to play a major role in predicting R'₂ (r = 0.74; P < 0.0001). This behavior was confirmed when the plate density was varied in individual specimens, which was achieved by rotating the specimen, making use of the bone's structural anisotropy. It is concluded that the NMR transverse relaxation rate in human cancellous bone of the spine is significantly determined by trabecular structural parameters relevant to biomechanical strength. The results further underscore the important role played by the transverse trabeculae in contributing to cancellous bone strength. The work has implications on possible in vivo use of quantitative magnetic resonance for the assessment of fracture risk in osteoporotic patients.

Links

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.90.21.10250

PubMed: 8234285

WoS: A1993MF29600105

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Cited By (18)

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2022	Mattioli D, Vinicola V, Aragona M, Montuori M, Tarantino U, Capuani S. Behavior during aging of bone-marrow fatty-acids profile in women's calcaneus to search for early potential osteoporotic biomarkers: a 1H-MR spectroscopy study. Bone. November 2022;164:116514.
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2017	Unal M. Classification of Bound Water and Collagen Denaturation Status of Cortical Bone by Raman Spectroscopy [PhD thesis]. Cleveland, OH: Case Western Reserve University; January 2017.
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2002	Follet H. Caractérisation Biomécanique Et Modélisation 3D Par Imagerie X Et IRM Haute Résolution De L’os Spongieux Humain: Evaluation Du Risque Fracturaire [PhD thesis]. Institut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon); 2002.
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