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Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
Differences between muscle from osteoporotic and osteoarthritic subjects: in vitro study by diffusion-tensor MRI and
Giulia Di Pietro1,2, Manuel Scimeca3, Riccardo Iundusi1
1Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, "Policlinico Tor Vergata" Foundation, Viale Oxford, 81, Rome, 00133, Italy.
Background:
Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are strongly coupled with alterations of muscles quality and fats metabolism. However, there are no studies for investigating possible differences between osteoporotic and osteoarthritic muscles. Understanding muscle-bone and muscle-cartilage interactions would be of high clinical value.
Aim:
Investigate potential microstructural and physiological differences between osteoporotic and osteoarthritic muscles by diffusion Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging (diffusion MRI) and histological findings.
Methods:
Vastus-lateralis muscles excised from osteoporotic (n = 26, T Score < - 2.5, Kellgren-Lawrence ≤ 2) and osteoarthritic (n = 26, T Score > - 2.5, Kellgren--Lawrence 3 and 4) age-matched women were investigated by NMR relaxometry, diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) at 9.4 T, and histological techniques. Intramyocellular (IMCL) and extramyocellular (EMCL) lipid were quantified. The percentage and mean diameters of fibers I and II were evaluated. Relationship between mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), the DTI eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, λ3), histological findings in muscles and clinical data (Kellgren-Lawrence and T score, age, menopausal age, body mass index) were studied. Pairwise comparisons between groups were made using one-way analysis of variance and correlation between variables was assessed with linear correlation analysis (Pearson's r coefficient).
Results:
Osteoporotic muscles showed higher MD, λ1, λ2, λ3 compared to osteoarthritis ones. This is explainable with a significant higher density of IMCL droplets found inside the osteoarthritic muscles and a large amount of fibrotic tissue and IMCL infiltration between fibers, i.e. in endomysium and perimysium that lead to a more hindered diffusion. Furthermore, histological analysis suggests mitochondrial degeneration as the origin of the greatest amount of IMCL droplets in osteoarthritic muscles.
Conclusion:
This work highlights differences between muscles of osteoporotic and osteoarthritic subjects that can be quantified by NMR DTI investigations.
