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Updated: Jun 20, 2025
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
Age-related T1 mapping, fat fraction, diffusion and perfusion parameters of the lumbar vertebrae in healthy children
1Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China; Department of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin, China.
Insights
This study establishes normal lumbar spine MRI parameters for healthy children aged 0-14 years, revealing age-related trends in T1 mapping, fat fraction, and diffusion/perfusion values.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Pediatric Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate reference values for pediatric lumbar spine MRI parameters are crucial for diagnosing bone marrow conditions.
- Understanding age-related changes in bone marrow composition and cellular structure is essential for pediatric health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal T1 mapping, fat fraction, diffusion, and perfusion parameters for lumbar vertebrae in healthy children.
- To investigate the trends of these parameters with age in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- 146 healthy children (0-14 years) underwent 3.0 T lumbar MRI.
- The cohort was divided into five age groups.
- T1 mapping, Dixon, and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) sequences were used to measure parameters in lumbar vertebrae 2-4.
Main Results:
- Normal values for T1 mapping, fat fraction (FF%), diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion (D*), and perfusion (f) were established.
- T1, D, D*, and f values showed significant correlations with age (p<0.001).
- FF% positively correlated with age (r=0.635, p<0.001), while T1 and D showed negative correlations.
Conclusions:
- Age-dependent variations in vertebral body parameters indicate changes in bone marrow composition and cellular structure during childhood growth.
- Established normal values for children's lumbar spines can aid in the clinical study of vertebral diseases.
Aim:
Compare the T1 mapping, fat fraction, diffusion and perfusion parameters of the lumbar vertebrae of different age groups to establish normal values for healthy children and observe the trends in these parameters with age.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 146 healthy children (0-14 years) were included in this prospective study and underwent 3.0 T lumbar MRI examination. The study cohort was divided into five age groups (Group A ∼ E) according to development milestones in children. T1 mapping, Dixon and IVIM (intravoxel incoherent motion)sequence images were used to measure the parameters of lumbar vertebrae 2-4.
Results:
The normal values of each parameter were measured and compared across different age groups. The T1 value was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.619, p<0.001). The fat fraction (FF%) was positively correlated with age (r=0.635, p<0.001). There was a negative correlation between the D value and age (r=-0.406, p<0.001). The D∗ value was positively correlated with age (r=0.54, p<0.001). The f value was positively correlated with age (r=0.775, p<0.001). The inflexion points of the T1 value and FF% curves were at approximately 3 years old (36 months).The inflexion points of the IVIM-related parameter curves were approximately 5 years old (60 months).
Conclusion:
The age-dependent differences in the vertebral body parameters of this pediatric cohort suggest changes in the bone marrow composition and cellular structure of the vertebral body during physiological growth in children. The establishment of normal values of children's lumbar spine can facilitate the clinical study of diseases.
