MRI-based quantitative analysis of paraspinal muscle characteristics in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

English Keywords:Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures  Paraspinal muscle  Fatty infiltration  Vertebral bone quality score  Magnetic resonance imagine

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objectives: To compare and analyze the MRI characteristics and fatty infiltration(FI) of the lumbar spine in patients with and without osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture(OVCF) to explore their relationships with fracture. Methods: 46 patients with OVCF(70.67±11.99 years old; 11 males, 35 famales) were retrospectively analyzed, and 46 age- (70.76±5.40) and sex- (11 males, 35 famales) matched osteoporotic patients without OVCF were taken as the control group. Paravertebral muscle FI, cross-sectional area(CSA), and vertebral bone quality(VBQ) score were measured on lumbar MRI. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the differences between the OVCF group and the control group, and regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors for the development of OVCF. Results: Patients in the OVCF group had significantly higher VBQ scores(P<0.05) and significantly higher paravertebral muscle FI(P<0.05) than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in CSA of paravertebral muscles between the two groups. VBQ score(OR=1.963, P<0.01) and FI of paravertebral muscles represented by L4(OR=1.203, P<0.01) were the independent risk factors for OVCF. Conclusions: The MRI parameters of lumbar spine in patients with OVCF had greater VBQ scores and paravertebral muscle FI compared with the osteoporotic patients without OVCF; VBQ scores and paravertebral muscle FI are the independent risk factors for OVCF, and attentions should be paid to improve paravertebral muscle functions in the meantime of preventing OVCF.