[Normal sternal bone marrow MRI using STIR]

The MR signal of sternal bone marrow was examined in 21 normal volunteers using a sagittal STIR sequence. Craniocaudal phase-encoding with a hand-made positioning device effectively eliminated artifacts due to cardiac pulsation. The sternal bone marrow signal could be classified into three patterns based on the signal distribution. The superior segment of the manubrium showed characteristic age-related changes. This method provided high spatial resolution and excellent bone marrow imaging. Knowledge of a normal marrow signal pattern may be useful for the evaluation of hematological disorders.