title: 3 Tesla (1) H MR spectroscopy of hip bone marrow in a healthy population, assessment of normal fat content values and influence of age and sex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in a healthy population normal spectroscopic fat content (FC) values of the hip bone marrow and to assess the influence of age and sex on bone marrow conversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty volunteers (40 men; 40 women; ages: 20-60 years; divided into four consecutive groups) underwent acetabulum, femoral head, femoral neck, greater trochanter, and diaphysis localized (1) H MR spectroscopy. FC values of each anatomical site were obtained according to the following formula: Fat content = CH2 /(CH2  + Water)*100. To assess bone marrow conversion, a spectroscopic conversion index (SCI) was calculated as FC neck/FC greater trochanter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FC values showed a gradient as follows: greater trochanter > femoral head > femoral neck > diaphysis > acetabulum in every age group both in men and in women. SCI increased with age both in men and women, showing lower values in women for every age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We obtained normal spectroscopic FC values from different areas of the hip, according to age and sex. These values may be used as reference values to evaluate, by the means of (1) H MR spectroscopy, pathological conditions affecting hip bone marrow.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie et d'Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Lille, France; PMOI, Physiopathologie Des Maladie Osseuses Inflammatoire Unité de recherche EA 4490, Boulogne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pansini
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monnet
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salleron
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hardouin
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cortet
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cotten
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011522:Protons
keywords: 3 Tesla 1H MR spectroscopy; 3 Tesla MR imaging; bone marrow conversion; fat content values; hip bone marrow