Gassert FT, Kufner A, Gassert FG, et al. - MRI based assessment of the bone marrow proton density fat fraction (PDFF) allows the differentiation between osteoporotic/osteopenic patients with and without vertebral fractures. Hence, researchers suggest the potential utility of PDFF as biomarker for bone fragility assessment.

• Among a total of 52 patients with a suspected vertebral fracture who underwent a CT scan as part of the clinical routine diagnostic protocol, 32 presented with vertebral fractures of the lumbar spine and were included in this study (66.4 ± 14.4 years, 62.5% women; acute low-energy osteoporotic/osteopenic vertebral fractures, N = 25; acute high-energy traumatic vertebral fractures, N = 7).

• Researchers frequency matched these patients for age and gender to patients without vertebral fractures (N = 20, 69.3 ± 10.1 years, 70.0% women).

• A significant correlation appeared between mean PDFF and trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) values derived from quantitative computed tomography.

• In the osteoporotic/osteopenic group, a significantly higher PDFF was observed for those patients with osteoporotic/osteopenic fractures than those without osteoporotic fractures.

• When evaluating all patients with vertebral fractures, a significantly lower PDFF was recorded for those with high-energy traumatic fractures compared with those with low-energy osteoporotic/osteopenic vertebral fractures.