Chemical shift-encoded MRI for assessment of bone marrow adipose tissue fat composition: Pilot study in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women.

OBJECT: To quantify and compare subregional proximal femur bone marrow fat composition in premenopausal and postmenopausal women using chemical shift-encoded-MRI (CSE-MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multi gradient-echo sequence at 3 T was used to scan both hips of premenopausal (n = 9) and postmenopausal (n = 18) women. Subregional fat composition (saturation, poly-unsaturation, mono-unsaturation) was quantitatively assessed in the femoral head, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, greater trochanter, and proximal shaft in bone marrow adipose tissue and separately within red and yellow marrow adipose tissue.

RESULTS: Significant differences in fat composition in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women, which varied depending on the subregion analyzed, were found. Within both whole and yellow marrow adipose tissue, postmenopausal women demonstrated higher saturation (+14.7% to +43.3%), lower mono- (-11.4% to -33%) and polyunsaturation (-52 to -83%) (p < 0.05). Within red marrow adipose tissue, postmenopausal women demonstrated lower fat quantity (-16% to -24%) and decreased polyunsaturation (-80 to -120%) in the femoral neck, greater trochanter, and Ward's triangle (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: CSE-MRI can be used to detect subregional differences in proximal femur marrow adipose tissue composition between pre- and post-menopausal women in clinically feasible scan times.