Role of vertebral fat fraction and R2* based on fat analysis and calculation technique in the quantitative assessment of osteoporosis.

PURPOSE

To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of vertebral fat fraction (FF) and R2* derived from the Fat Analysis and Calculation Technique (FACT) for Osteoporosis (OP) and explore their associations with clinical parameters.

METHODS

A total of 123 patients with low back pain (59.1 ± 15.1 years, 41males) underwent lumbar FACT magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) within 48 h. FF, R2*, BMD, T-scores, and Z-scores were measured at L1-L4 vertebrae. Based on WHO criteria (T-score), subjects were categorized into normal (T ≥ - 1), osteopenia (- 2.5 < T < - 1), and OP (T ≤ - 2.5) groups. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Pearson/Spearman correlations, and ROC curve analysis.

RESULTS

The OP group exhibited significantly higher FF values compared to the normal group (overall: 59.8% vs. 47.7%, P < 0.001), with a more pronounced increase in females (between-group FF difference: F = 23.5 vs. males F = 4.6). R2* decreased progressively with bone loss (overall: 134.2 Hz vs. 162.0 Hz in normal group, P = 0.001). FF showed a strong positive correlation with age (overall: r = 0.66, P < 0.001) and negative correlations with BMD and T-scores (overall: r = - 0.42 and - 0.45, P < 0.001). R2* was negatively correlated with age (overall: r = - 0.48, P < 0.001), particularly in males (r = - 0.61 vs. females r = - 0.36). The multi-parameter model demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for osteopenia (AUC = 0.794, 95%CI: 0.699-0.866) and OP (AUC = 0.893, 95%CI: 0.814-0.947), outperforming single parameters.

CONCLUSION

FACT technology quantifies age and sex specific patterns of marrow FF and R2* during osteoporosis progression. The multi-parameter model significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy, providing a comprehensive imaging-metabolic biomarker for individualized OP assessment.