Role of T1 Weighted and Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance imaging application in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in lumbar spine in postmenopausal women

Background: Postmenopausal Osteoporosis is one of the most common causes of primary osteoporosis. For two decades, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been applied to the evaluation of intracranial diseases, but technical advancement make it possible to apply DWI measurements to extra cranial sites, including vertebral column. Objective: Using diffusion-weighted MR imaging technology to determine the DWI and ADC values of lumbar vertebral body in postmenopausal women in correlation with the DEXA tscores. Patients and Methods: A cross sectional analytical studywas conducted at Al-Yarmouk Teaching hospital in Baghdad city. A total of 80 postmenopausal women, was recruited from subjects who underwent DEXA of the spine and categorized into three groups according to their t-score: Normal BMD, Osteopenia, and Osteoporosis. Then MRI study done for all of them including: T1, T2, DWI, and ADC value measurement. Results: The values of ADC at L3 vertebra were (0.46 ± 0.098) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s, (0.42 ± 0.084) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s, and (0.39 ± 0.052) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for the three groups: the normal, osteopenic, osteoporotic respectively. The values of the diffusion signal intensity values at L3 vertebra were 134.5 ± 5.7 mm 2 /s, 112.7 + 3.4 mm 2 /s, 101.3 + 4.4 mm 2 /s respectively. There was a significant difference among the three groups in both diffusion and ADC measurement. Thi-Qar Medical Journal (TQMJ): Vol.(14), No.(2), 2017 851 Conclusion: Both diffusion and ADC values are significantly lower in subjects with postmenopausal osteoporosis. There is a significant positive relationship between T score that was determined by DEXA, and the ADC value.