Article Figures & Data
Figures
- fig 1.
Relationship of age, sex, and percent fat fraction (%FF). Patients are grouped by decades of age; within each decade group, male and female subjects are separately represented. There is a linear increase of %FF with age and a difference in this variable between male and female subjects.fig 2. %FF for both normal and abnormal bone, by decades of age. Abnormal bone has a higher %FF in all age groups
- fig 3.
Comparison of patients with and a patient without Schmorl's nodes, the most common pathologic finding.
A, Schmorl's nodes at the lower thoracic and lumbar levels in a 38-year-old man. The 1H MRS shows a water peak (left) and a lipid peak (right). The LWR is 1.1, which yields a %FF of 52. This is relatively high for this age group (see fig 2).
B, Schmorl's nodes at the inferior endplates of L2 and L3 in a 60-year-old man. The 1H MRS shows the lipid peak (right) to be much higher than the water peak (left). The LWR measured 1.76, which yields a %FF of 64. This is relatively high for this age group (see fig 2).
C, Normal bone in a 17-year-old girl. The LWR measured 0.19, which yields a %FF of 16.
- fig 4.
Examples of compression fractures.
A, An 87-year-old man with recent compression fracture of L3 and Schmorl's node at the superior endplate of L2. The 1H MRS at L2 revealed a LWR of 2.3, for a %FF of 70, which is relatively high for this age group.
B, An 80-year-old woman with recent compression fracture of L1, probable fracture at the inferior L3 vertebral body, and inferior endplate depression at L4 and L5. The 1H MRS at L2 shows a very prominent lipid peak. The LWR measured 2.4, for a %FF of 71, which is relatively high for this age group.
