The Relationship Between Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters and Muscle Dysfunction in Patients...

Area of Science:

• Musculoskeletal Imaging
• Radiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Osteoporosis (OP) is characterized by low bone density and increased fracture risk.
• Muscle dysfunction is a common but often overlooked complication of osteoporosis.
• Early detection and characterization of muscle dysfunction are crucial for managing OP patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters and muscle dysfunction in patients with osteoporosis.
• To establish a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies for OP-related muscle dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study included 100 osteoporosis patients.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examinations were performed.
• Muscle strength was assessed using the Lovett muscle strength grading system (0-5 levels).
• Patients were categorized into poor (grades 0-3) and good (grades 4-5) muscle function groups.
• Logistic regression and Pearson correlation analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• Lower fraction anisotropy (FA) values were observed in multiple muscles (gluteus maximus, gracilis, rectus femoris, adductor femoris, long adductor femoris) in the poor muscle function group compared to the good group.
• Lower apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were found in the gracilis, adductor femoris, and long adductor femoris muscles in the poor muscle function group.
• Decreased FA and increased ADC in adductor major and longus muscles were independent predictors of thigh muscle dysfunction.
• Muscle dysfunction in OP was positively correlated with decreased muscle FA and ADC.
• Combined FA and ADC achieved an AUC of 0.722 for predicting muscle dysfunction, outperforming single parameters.

Conclusions:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters, specifically FA and ADC, are correlated with muscle dysfunction in various muscle groups of osteoporosis patients.
• These DTI parameters demonstrate potential as predictive biomarkers for muscle dysfunction in osteoporosis.
• The findings support the use of DTI for assessing muscle health in osteoporosis management.