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Abstract #1596

Feasibility of Applying MR Elastography to Measure Bone Stiffness in an ex vivo Model of Osteoporosis

Jun Chen1, Hugh McGregor2, Ephraim I. Ben-Abraham1, Kevin J. Glaser1, Qingshan Chen1, Richard L. Ehman1

1Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; 2University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. , Chapel Hill, NC, United States


Fragility fractures are the hallmark of osteoporosis, which affects 1 in 2 women and 1 in 6 men older than 50 in North America. Decreased bone mineral density (BMD), measured by DEXA and other methods, is an important risk factor for patients with osteoporosis. However, bone strength depends on the combination of BMD and bone microstructure/architecture. Therefore, assessing overall bone biomechanical properties could be more valuable than determining BMD alone. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using MRE to measure and detect the stiffness change in bone in an ex vivo model of osteoporosis.