Phosphorus-31 in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy of bone fails to diagnose osteoporosis.

The values of in vivo T1 relaxation time (T1) of phosphorus atoms of wrist bone have been measured by phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in 65 menopausal women separated into three groups: (1) age-matched women without any paraclinical or clinical osteoporosis; (2) patients with paraclinical osteoporosis detected only by dual photonic absorptiometry; and (3) women with clinical osteoporosis with vertebral fractures. No significant differences were found in T1 values in the presence of paraclinical or clinical osteoporosis as compared to control values. No relationships were found among the T1, the value of the Z-score, the value of bone mineral content, the age of patients, the number of their children, and the age of menopause. Phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the wrist fails to separate osteoporotic from nonosteoporotic women and cannot be clinically used at this time to perform a noninvasive diagnosis of osteoporosis.