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Research progress on magnetic resonance techniques based on conventional sequences, ultra-short echo time sequences, and fat quantification sequences in the diagnosis of osteoporosis
CHENG Zhangkun  ZHANG Tingting 

Cite this article as: CHENG Z K, ZHANG T T. Research progress on magnetic resonance techniques based on conventional sequences, ultra-short echo time sequences, and fat quantification sequences in the diagnosis of osteoporosis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(9): 229-234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.035.


[Abstract] Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and destruction of bone microstructure, which has a higher incidence among the elderly and a significant increase in the risk of fractures. Traditional bone mineral density (BMD) measurement methods, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for clinical diagnosis of OP, but DXA and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) focus solely on bone mass and ignore the changes in bone microstructure,and have the risk of radiation exposure. MRI technology can non-invasively and multi-dimensionally assess the information of bone quality, bone marrow fat content, and cortical bone porosity, which is helpful for the precise diagnosis and treatment of OP. Existing reviews have summarized the research progress of fat quantification sequences and ultra-short echo time (UTE) sequences in the diagnosis of OP, but have ignored the significance of conventional T1 sequences in the diagnosis of OP and the fusion of multi-modal MRI techniques in the diagnosis of OP and related diseases. This article reviews the application progress and existing limitations of conventional T1 sequence, UTE sequence, and fat quantification sequence in the assessment of OP and related diseases: the vertebral bone quality score (VBQ), which is calculated by comparing the signal ratio of lumbar marrow to cerebrospinal fluid on conventional T1 sequence, is used to evaluate OP and related diseases; the UTE sequence is employed to detect short T2 tissues and quantify parameters such as cortical bone pore water concentration, porosity index (PI), suppression ratio (SR), and collagen-bound water proton density (CBWPD) to assess OP; meanwhile, the fat quantification sequence is utilized to precisely measure bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF) and explore the research progress of its combination with different sequences in diagnosing OP and related diseases. However, these techniques still face challenges in clinical application, such as the lack of standardized standards and standardized scanning protocols. In the future, it is necessary to construct a multimodal MRI system that integrates T1 sequence, UTE, and fat quantification, and address key issues such as parameter standardization to promote clinical precision diagnosis and treatment.
[Keywords] osteoporosis；magnetic resonance imaging；bone mineral density；vertebral bone quality score；ultra short echo time；fat quantification

CHENG Zhangkun1, 2   ZHANG Tingting1, 2*  

1 The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443000, China

2 Department of Radiology, Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang 443000, China

Corresponding author: ZHANG T T, E-mail: tiana0916@sina.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-05-26
Accepted  2025-09-10
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.035
Cite this article as: CHENG Z K, ZHANG T T. Research progress on magnetic resonance techniques based on conventional sequences, ultra-short echo time sequences, and fat quantification sequences in the diagnosis of osteoporosis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(9): 229-234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.035.

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