Age-related distribution of vertebral bone-marrow diffusivity

PURPOSE: To determine age-related diffusivity changes of the lumbar bone marrow by measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The local ethics committee approved this study and written informed consent was obtained. The study group comprised 88 individuals including 75 healthy volunteers and 13 patients (48 female, 40 male; mean age 36 years, range 0-84 years). The pediatric cases were recruited from patients. Echo-planar diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) was performed with b-values of 50, 400 and 800 s/mm(2). ADC-values were calculated and measured in the 1st and 2nd vertebral body of the lumbar spine. Correlation between age and ADC-values was analyzed with Spearman's rho test.

RESULTS: The ADC values of the vertebral bone marrow of the lumbar spine showed a significant negative correlation with age (rho=-0.398, p=0.001). The mean ADC values (×10(-3)mm(2)/s) in the age groups 0-29 years (mean age 18.0 years, n=42) and 30-88 years (mean age 51.6 years, n=46) were 0.54 ± 0.07 and 0.47 ± 0.08, respectively (p<0.001, T-test). No significant differences were found between children and young adults.

CONCLUSION: Bone marrow ADC values of the lumbar spine show a linear decrease with growing age and thereby reflect the gradual changes of cell composition occurring during marrow conversion.