Association between lumbar muscle size and bone mineral density in nonfractured postmenopausal women with and without osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: Estrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women is associated with bone loss and a decline in muscle mass. However, the associations between lumbar muscle size and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with and without osteoporosis remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between lumbar muscle size and BMD in nonfractured postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and those with osteopenia. METHODS: A total of 89 postmenopausal women with osteopenia (n = 53) and osteoporosis (n = 36) were retrospectively enrolled in this study from 2014 to 2022. All participants underwent lumbar magnetic resonance imaging and dual-energy absorptiometry within a month. The lean lumbar muscle sizes at different lumbar levels were quantitatively evaluated on axial T1-weighted images. The associations between lumbar muscle size and BMD were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: The osteoporosis group had significantly smaller lean psoas muscle sizes than the osteopenia group. Based on the correlation analysis, the erector spinae and multifidus muscle sizes were significantly associated with lumbar and femoral neck BMDs in the osteoporosis group. However, no significant association was found between lean psoas muscle size and BMDs in the osteopenia group. Thus, the associations between lumbar muscle decline and bone loss differed between postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and those with osteopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest differences in the associations between BMD and lumbar muscle size between postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and those with osteopenia.

Analyzing the factors associated with efficacy among teriparatide treatment in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Teriparatide (TPTD) is a widely used anabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. Several factors have been identified to be related to bone mineral density (BMD) increase in anti-osteoporosis treatment with other agents; however, there has been no systematic analysis to summarize the associated determinants of BMD reaction to daily teriparatide treatment. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we performed a comprehensive investigation involving not only clinical data but also several relevant lifestyle factors to be examined for their potential contribution to BMD response. This post-hoc analysis included 258 post-menopaused patients with osteoporosis who received TPTD at 20 µg/day for 12 months. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to distinguish the response variables of lumbar spine (LS) BMD transformation, the principal outcome measure of efficacy, from the baseline at 12 months. RESULTS: Twelve months of TPTD treatment resulted in an absolute 0.39 ± 0.37 increase in T-score of LS BMD. Gastrointestinal disease, prior bisphosphonate or glucocorticoid treatment, no vitamin K2 supplementation, low levels of serum 25(OH)D and PINP, weak increment of PINP and ß-CTX at 3 months, unhealthy lifestyle (excessive smoking, tea, coffee, and drinking), vegetarian diet pattern, low ALT level, and high BMD at baseline were determined by univariate analyses to be related to the weak reaction of TPTD treatment (P < 0.10). In the multiple regression model, postmenopausal women with vitamin K2 supplementation, higher baseline serum 25(OH)D level, and higher PINP concentration at 3 months indicated a good reaction of LS BMD at 12 months (P < 0.05). Patients with gastrointestinal disease, prior bisphosphonate and glucocorticoid treatment, vegetarian diet pattern, and higher baseline BMD were significantly more likely to have a lower absolute LS BMD response compared to patients without these characteristics (P < 0.05). Further analysis confirmed the negative effect of unhealthy lifestyle on TPTD treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results emphasize the significance of a comprehensive assessment of clinical or lifestyle-related characteristics of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in the management of TPTD therapy in routine care.

Association of serum osteocalcin with bone microarchitecture and muscle mass in Beijing community-dwelling postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease with increasing bone fragility and prone to fracture. Osteocalcin (OC), as the most abundant non collagen in bone matrix, has been extensively used in clinic as a biochemical marker of osteogenesis. Two forms of OC were stated on circulation, including carboxylated osteocalcin (cOC) and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC). OC was not only involved in bone mineralization, but also in the regulation of muscle function. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between serum OC, cOC, ucOC levels and bone mineral density (BMD), bone microarchitecture, muscle mass and physical activity in Chinese postmenopausal women. METHOD: 216 community-dwelling postmenopausal women were randomized enrolled. All subjects completed biochemical measurements, including serum ß-isomer of C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (ß-CTX), N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), OC, cOC and ucOC. They completed X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to measure BMD, appendicular lean mass (ALM) and trabecular bone score (TBS). They completed high resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) to assess peripheral bone microarchitectures. RESULTS: Serum OC, cOC and ucOC were elevated in osteoporosis postmenopausal women. In bone geometry, serum ucOC was positively related with total bone area (Tt.Ar) and trabecular area(Tb.Ar). In bone volumetric density, serum OC and ucOC were negatively associated with total volume bone mineral density (Tt.vBMD) and trabecular volume bone mineral density (Tb.vBMD). In bone microarchitecture, serum OC and ucOC were negatively correlative with Tb.N and Tb.BV/TV, and were positively correlated with Tb.Sp. Serum OC and ucOC were positively associated with Tb.1/N.SD. Serum OC was negatively related with Tb.Th. Serum ucOC was positively associated with ALM. The high level of serum OC was the risk factor of osteoporosis. ALM was the protective factor for osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: All forms of serum OC were negatively associated with BMD. Serum OC and ucOC mainly influenced microstructure of trabecular bone in peripheral skeletons. Serum ucOC participated in modulating both bone microstructure and muscle mass.

Characteristics of older patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis who developed loss of muscle mass during the COVID-19 pandemic - a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Under the restriction of social activities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was concern about the loss of muscle mass due to a decrease in physical activity for the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of older patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis who developed loss of muscle mass during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. METHODS: A total of 54 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis were evaluated in this study. Whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic to measure trunk and lower limb muscle mass. At the time of the post-COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a survey to compare lifestyle before pandemic (the frequency of going out, the frequency of meeting acquaintances or families living apart, regular exercise habits, walking time, family structure), and comorbidities between the muscle mass loss (ML) group and the muscle mass maintenance (MM) group. The ML group consisted of patients with at least a 5% decrease in lower limb muscle mass or trunk muscle mass. RESULTS: A significant difference was found only for the family structure (P = 0.0279); in the ML group, those living alone were the largest group, while in the MM group they were the smallest group. CONCLUSIONS: The ML group was significantly more likely to live alone than the MM group. The current study showed that loss of muscle mass was more common in patients living alone.

Hip structural analysis, trabecular bone score, and bone mineral density in post-menopausal women with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a multi-center cross-sectional study in the south of Iran.

This study aimed to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular microarchitecture, and proximal hip geometry in diabetic postmenopausal women, where BMD alone cannot reflect bone strength adequately. We found significantly lower trabecular bone score and BMD at the distal radius and total forearm in diabetic subjects compared to controls. PURPOSE: The limitations resulting from the exclusive assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) in people with diabetes can lead to underestimation of microarchitectural and geometric changes, both of which play an essential role in the fracture risk. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate BMD, trabecular bone score (TBS), and hip structural analysis (HSA) in diabetic type-2 post-menopausal women and compare them with healthy postmenopausal subjects. METHODS: BMD was assessed at the lumbar spine, femoral sites, distal radius, and total forearm using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); TBS was measured based on DXA images using the software at the same region of interest as the BMD measurements; geometric assessment at the proximal femur was performed by the HSA program. RESULTS: A total of 348 ambulatory type-2 diabetic postmenopausal women and 539 healthy postmenopausal women were enrolled. TBS and BMD at the distal radius and total forearm were significantly (P value < 0.05) lower in cases compared to controls after age and body mass index (BMI) adjustment. In addition, degraded bone microarchitecture was significantly (P value < 0.05) more prevalent in diabetic subjects than in non-diabetic controls after adjusting for age and BMI. A number of geometric indices of the proximal hip were significantly lower in the controls than in those with diabetes (P-value < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study may highlight the utility of the TBS and BMD at the distal radius and total forearm in subjects with type-2 diabetes mellitus, where the BMD at central sites may not adequately predict fracture risk.

The relation between dietary quality and healthy eating index with bone mineral density in osteoporosis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to illustrate the association between the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Dietary Quality Index (DQI) with bone mineral density (BMD) among postmenopausal Iranian women with osteoporosis compared to the healthy control. METHODS: In the current case-control study, 131 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and 131 healthy postmenopausal women participated. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck BMD. The subjects completed a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and then HEI and DQI were calculated based on the FFQ data. Crude and adjusted multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relation between HEI and DQI with the odds of the femoral and lumbar BMD. RESULTS: According to the results, participants in the last tertile of HEI were more likely to have higher femoral and lumbar BMD in the crude model (odds ratio (OR) = 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20-0.71 and OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.10-0.40, respectively) and also in the adjusted model (OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.20-0.78 and OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.10-0.41, respectively). Also, in terms of DQI-I, participants in the last tertile were more likely to have higher femoral and lumbar BMD in the crude model (OR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.12-0.45 and OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.15-0.55, respectively) and also in the adjusted model (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14-0.58 and OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.17-0.67, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study supported the hypothesis that high-quality diets with healthy patterns can be clinically effective in maintaining bone health. Thus, recommendations regarding the consumption of nutrient-rich food groups in a healthy diet can serve as a practical non-pharmacological strategy against osteoporosis.

MiR-210 improves postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats through activating VEGF/Notch signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: To explore the effect and mechanism of action of miR-210 on postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMPO) in ovariectomized rats in vivo. METHODS: An ovariectomized (OVX) rat model was established by ovariectomy. Tail vein injection was performed to overexpress and knock down miR-210 in OVX rats, followed by the collection of blood and femoral tissues from each group of rats. And quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to assess the expression level of miR-210 in femoral tissues of each group. Micro computed tomography (Micro CT) was adopted to scan the microstructure of the femoral trabecula in each group to obtain relevant data like bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), bone surface-to-volume ratio (BS/BV), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp). ELISA was used for determining the level of bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), osteocalcin (OCN), and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-1) in serum; and Western blot for the protein level of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteopontin (OPN), and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) in femoral tissues. RESULTS: MiR-210 expression was significantly decreased in femoral tissues of OVX rats. Overexpression of miR-210 could obviously increase BMD, BMC, BV/TV and Tb.Th, whereas significantly decrease BS/BV and Tb.Sp in femurs of OVX rats. Moreover, miR-210 also downregulated BALP and CTX-1 level, upregulated PINP and OCN level in the serum of OVX rats promoted the expression of osteogenesis-related markers (Runx2, OPN and COL1A1) in the femur of OVX rats. Additionally, further pathway analysis revealed that high expression of miR-210 activated the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/Notch1 signaling pathway in the femur of OVX rats. CONCLUSION: High expression of miR-210 may improve the micromorphology of bone tissue and modulate bone formation and resorption in OVX rats by activating the VEGF/Notch1 signaling pathway, thereby alleviating osteoporosis. Consequently, miR-210 can serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal rats.

Bone Marrow Adiposity and Fragility Fractures in Postmenopausal Women: The ADIMOS Case-Control Study.

CONTEXT: Noninvasive assessment of proton density fat fraction (PDFF) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may improve the prediction of fractures. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to determine if an association exists between PDFF and fractures. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at Lille University Hospital, Lille, France, with 2 groups of postmenopausal women: one with recent osteoporotic fractures, and the other with no fractures. Lumbar spine and proximal femur (femoral head, neck, and diaphysis) PDFF were determined using chemical shift-based water-fat separation MRI (WFI) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans of the lumbar spine and hip. Our primary objective was to determine the relationship between lumbar spine PDFF and osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. Analysis of covariance was used to compare PDFF measurements between patient cases (overall and according to the type of fracture) and controls, after adjusting for age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and BMD. RESULTS: In 199 participants, controls (n = 99) were significantly younger (P < .001) and had significantly higher BMD (P < 0.001 for all sites) than patient cases (n = 100). A total of 52 women with clinical vertebral fractures and 48 with nonvertebral fractures were included. When PDFFs in patient cases and controls were compared, after adjustment on age, CCI, and BMD, no statistically significant differences between the groups were found at the lumbar spine or proximal femur. When PDFFs in participants with clinical vertebral fractures (n = 52) and controls were compared, femoral neck PDFF and femoral diaphysis PDFF were detected to be lower in participants with clinical vertebral fractures than in controls (adjusted mean [SE] 79.3% [1.2] vs 83.0% [0.8]; P = 0.020, and 77.7% [1.4] vs 81.6% [0.9]; P = 0.029, respectively). CONCLUSION: No difference in lumbar spine PDFF was found between those with osteoporotic fractures and controls. However, imaging-based proximal femur PDFF may discriminate between postmenopausal women with and without clinical vertebral fractures, independently of age, CCI, and BMD.

Factors associated with bone response to teriparatide in young postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the factors associated with changes in vertebral bone mineral density during teriparatide treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single centre, longitudinal study involving 145 osteoporotic postmenopausal women treated with teriparatide. Clinical evaluation, bone mineral density (BMD) measurements assessment and laboratory analyses were performed at baseline then after 12 and 18 months of treatment. Bone non-response to treatment was defined as no significant increase in BMD at 18 months as compared to baseline. RESULTS: Of the 145 women initially included, 109 completed the 18-month course of the treatment. 75% of them had a history of prior osteoporotic treatment. Baseline mean age was 60 ± 8 years. Mean baseline vertebral T-score was - 3.7 ± 0.7 and 83 (76%) women had suffered at least one vertebral fracture. At the end of treatment, 18 women (17%) were classified as non-responders. In the responder group (n = 91), vertebral BMD increased by 0.091 ± 0.04 g/cm2 (12.2 ± 5.3%). Clinical characteristics, baseline BMDs and the percentage of women previously treated with bisphosphonates as well as the duration of prior treatment did not significantly differ between the two groups of responders and non-responders. At baseline, non-responders had significant mean lower C-terminal fragment of type 1 collagen (CTX) values than responders (p < 0.01). Only baseline CTX values (r = 0.30 p < 0.01) were independently correlated to vertebral BMD changes during teriparatide treatment. CONCLUSION: A minority of treated women had no vertebral densitometric gain after 18 months of teriparatide therapy. Low levels of baseline bone remodeling were the main factor associated with poor response to treatment.

The Relationship between Bone Mineral Densitometry and Visceral Adiposity Index in Postmenopausal Women.

OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to compare visceral adiposity index (VAI) levels in patients with normal bone mineral density (BMD), osteopenia, and osteoporosis. METHODS: One hundred twenty postmenopausal women (40 with normal BMD, 40 with osteopenia, and 40 with osteoporosis) between the ages of 50 to 70 years were included in the study. For females, the VAI was calculated using the formula (waist circumference [WC]/[36.58 + (1.89 x body mass index (BMI))]) x (1.52/High-density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol [mmol/L]) x (triglyceride [TG]/0.81 [mmol/L]). RESULTS: The time of menopause from the beginning was similar in all groups. Waist circumference was found to be higher in those with normal BMD than in the osteopenic and osteoporotic groups (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001, respectively), and it was also higher in the osteopenic group than in the osteoporotic group (p = 0.003). Height and body weight, BMI, blood pressure, insulin, glucose, HDL-cholesterol, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were similar in all groups. Triglyceride levels were found to be higher in the normal BMD group, compared with the osteoporotic group (p = 0.005). The level of VAI was detected as higher in those with normal BMD, compared with the women with osteoporosis (p = 0.002). Additionally, the correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) spine T-scores, WC, VAI, and a negative correlation between DXA spine T-scores and age. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found higher VAI levels in those with normal BMD, compared with women with osteoporosis. We consider that further studies with a larger sample size will be beneficial in elucidating the entity.

OBJETIVO: O objetivo foi comparar os níveis de índice de adiposidade visceral (IVA) em pacientes com densidade mineral óssea (DMO) normal osteopenia e osteoporose. MéTODOS: Cento e vinte mulheres na pós-menopausa (40 com DMO normal 40 com osteopenia e 40 com osteoporose) com idades entre 50 e 70 anos foram incluídas no estudo. Para o sexo feminino o VAI foi calculado pela fórmula (circunferência da cintura [CC]/[36 58 + (1 89 x índice de massa corporal (IMC))]) x (1 52/lipoproteína de alta densidade [HDL]-colesterol [mmol/L] ) x (triglicerídeo [TG]/0 81 [mmol/L]). RESULTADOS: O tempo de menopausa desde o início foi semelhante em todos os grupos. A circunferência da cintura foi maior naqueles com DMO normal do que nos grupos osteopênicos e osteoporóticos (p = 0 018 e p < 0 001 respectivamente) e também foi maior no grupo osteopênico do que no grupo osteoporótico (p = 0 003) . Altura e peso corporal IMC pressão arterial insulina glicose HDL-colesterol e os níveis de avaliação do modelo de homeostase-resistência à insulina (HOMA-IR) foram semelhantes em todos os grupos. Os níveis de triglicerídeos foram maiores no grupo DMO normal em comparação com o grupo osteoporótico (p = 0 005). O nível de VAI foi detectado como maior naquelas com DMO normal em comparação com as mulheres com osteoporose (p = 0 002). Além disso a análise de correlação mostrou uma correlação positiva entre a absorciometria de raios-X de dupla energia (DXA) nas pontuações T da coluna CC VAI e uma correlação negativa entre as pontuações T da coluna DXA e a idade. CONCLUSãO: Em nosso estudo encontramos níveis mais elevados de VAI naquelas com DMO normal em comparação com mulheres com osteoporose. Consideramos que novos estudos com maior tamanho amostral serão benéficos na elucidação da entidade.

Automated, calibration-free quantification of cortical bone porosity and geometry in postmenopausal osteoporosis from ultrashort echo time MRI and deep learning.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of cortical bone porosity and geometry by imaging in vivo can provide useful information about bone quality that is independent of bone mineral density (BMD). Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI techniques of measuring cortical bone porosity and geometry have been extensively validated in preclinical studies and have recently been shown to detect impaired bone quality in vivo in patients with osteoporosis. However, these techniques rely on laborious image segmentation, which is clinically impractical. Additionally, UTE MRI porosity techniques typically require long scan times or external calibration samples and elaborate physics processing, which limit their translatability. To this end, the UTE MRI-derived Suppression Ratio has been proposed as a simple-to-calculate, reference-free biomarker of porosity which can be acquired in clinically feasible acquisition times. PURPOSE: To explore whether a deep learning method can automate cortical bone segmentation and the corresponding analysis of cortical bone imaging biomarkers, and to investigate the Suppression Ratio as a fast, simple, and reference-free biomarker of cortical bone porosity. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a deep learning 2D U-Net was trained to segment the tibial cortex from 48 individual image sets comprised of 46 slices each, corresponding to 2208 training slices. Network performance was validated through an external test dataset comprised of 28 scans from 3 groups: (1) 10 healthy, young participants, (2) 9 postmenopausal, non-osteoporotic women, and (3) 9 postmenopausal, osteoporotic women. The accuracy of automated porosity and geometry quantifications were assessed with the coefficient of determination and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Furthermore, automated MRI biomarkers were compared between groups and to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)- and peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT)-derived BMD. Additionally, the Suppression Ratio was compared to UTE porosity techniques based on calibration samples. RESULTS: The deep learning model provided accurate labeling (Dice score 0.93, intersection-over-union 0.88) and similar results to manual segmentation in quantifying cortical porosity (R2 ≥ 0.97, ICC ≥ 0.98) and geometry (R2 ≥ 0.82, ICC ≥ 0.75) parameters in vivo. Furthermore, the Suppression Ratio was validated compared to established porosity protocols (R2 ≥ 0.78). Automated parameters detected age- and osteoporosis-related impairments in cortical bone porosity (P ≤ .002) and geometry (P values ranging from <0.001 to 0.08). Finally, automated porosity markers showed strong, inverse Pearson's correlations with BMD measured by pQCT (|R| ≥ 0.88) and DXA (|R| ≥ 0.76) in postmenopausal women, confirming that lower mineral density corresponds to greater porosity. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated feasibility of a simple, automated, and ionizing-radiation-free protocol for quantifying cortical bone porosity and geometry in vivo from UTE MRI and deep learning.

Feasibility of aluminum phantom radiography for osteoporosis detection in postmenopausal women with a fragility fracture of the distal radius compared to DXA and HR-pQCT.

Recently, promising results have been reported for detection of osteoporosis with use of an aluminum phantom. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of radiography-based bone mineral density (BMD) measurement using a graded aluminum phantom. This study included 27 postmenopausal women with a distal radius fracture. Aluminum phantom radiography of the healthy radius was conducted as well as high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) measurement of the ultradistal radius and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the radius, spine, and hip. A strong correlation was observed between aluminum phantom radiography-based mean gray value (mGV) and DXA-derived BMD, especially for the ultradistal radius (ρ = 0.75; p < 0.001). A moderate correlation for the femoral neck (ρ = 0.61 and p < 0.001) between modalities was found. Radius mGV and HR-pQCT-derived BMD only showed a moderate correlation (ρ = 0.48; p < 0.09). Aluminum phantom radiography might serve as a cost efficient, highly available, low-radiation dose screening, and diagnostic method for osteoporosis additively to DXA measurements. Especially, an application in areas with constrained DXA availability and such as preoperative trauma settings would be beneficial. However, further investigation and assessment of specificity and sensitivity is needed.

MRI Quantification of Cortical Bone Porosity, Mineralization, and Morphologic Structure in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis.

Background Preclinical studies have suggested that solid-state MRI markers of cortical bone porosity, morphologic structure, mineralization, and osteoid density are useful measures of bone health. Purpose To explore whether MRI markers of cortical bone porosity, morphologic structure, mineralization, and osteoid density are affected in postmenopausal osteoporosis (OP) and to examine associations between MRI markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods In this single-center study, postmenopausal women were prospectively recruited from January 2019 to October 2020 into two groups: participants with OP who had not undergone treatment, defined as having any dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) T-score of -2.5 or less, and age-matched control participants without OP (hereafter, non-OP). Participants underwent MRI in the midtibia, along with DXA in the hip and spine, and peripheral quantitative CT in the midtibia. Specifically, MRI measures of cortical bone porosity (pore water and total water), osteoid density (bound water [BW]), morphologic structure (cortical bone thickness), and mineralization (phosphorous [P] density [31P] and 31P-to-BW concentration ratio) were quantified at 3.0 T. MRI measures were compared between OP and non-OP groups and correlations with BMD were assessed. Results Fifteen participants with OP (mean age, 63 years ± 5 [SD]) and 19 participants without OP (mean age, 65 years ± 6) were evaluated. The OP group had elevated pore water (11.6 mol/L vs 9.5 mol/L; P = .007) and total water densities (21.2 mol/L vs 19.7 mol/L; P = .03), and had lower cortical bone thickness (4.8 mm vs 5.6 mm; P < .001) and 31P density (6.4 mol/L vs 7.5 mol/L; P = .01) than the non-OP group, respectively, although there was no evidence of a difference in BW or 31P-to-BW concentration ratio. Pore and total water densities were inversely associated with DXA and peripheral quantitative CT BMD (P < .001), whereas cortical bone thickness and 31P density were positively associated with DXA and peripheral quantitative CT BMD (P = .01). BW, 31P density, and 31P-to-BW concentration ratio were positively associated with DXA (P < .05), but not with peripheral quantitative CT. Conclusion Solid-state MRI of cortical bone was able to help detect potential impairments in parameters reflecting porosity, morphologic structure, and mineralization in postmenopausal osteoporosis. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Bae in this issue.

Predictive factors for achievement of treatment goals in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with denosumab.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate efficacy of long-term treatment with denosumab and predictive factors for achievement of treatment goals in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). METHODS: We enrolled 111 PMO patients who had T-scores ≤-2.5 either at the lumbar spine (L-) or femoral neck (FN-), who had never been treated for osteoporosis, and who could be followed for at least 3 years. We first evaluated changes in bone mineral density (BMD) for up to 7 years. We next defined the treatment goal as the achievement of a T-score >-2.5 at month 36 and performed multivariate analysis to identify predictive factors for achievement of the goal. RESULTS: Lumbar spine- and femoral neck bone-mineral density increased yearly for 7 years. Among 87 patients with baseline L-T-scores ≤-2.5, better baseline L-T-scores predicted achievement of L-T-scores >-2.5 at month 36. The cut-off value for baseline L-T-score was -3.4. Among 76 patients with baseline FN-T-scores ≤-2.5, better baseline FN-T-scores predicted achievement of FN-T-scores >-2.5 at month 36. The cut-off value for baseline FN-T-scores was -2.8. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with denosumab was effective in PMO patients. As better baseline T-score predicted achievement of T-scores >-2.5, early initiation of treatment will contribute to better outcome.

Associations of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with bone mineral density and bone turnover in postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE: The immunomodulatory properties of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are reported to reduce bone loss through alteration of bone remodelling and n-3 LCPUFA, therefore, may benefit bone health in post-menopausal women, a vulnerable group at high risk of osteoporosis. METHODS: Measures of bone mineral density (BMD) were determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 300 post-menopausal women. The bone turnover markers osteocalcin (OC), C-terminal telopeptides of type 1 collagen (CTX) and total alkaline phosphatase were quantified in serum along with urinary creatinine corrected deoxypyridinoline (DPD/Cr) and CTX/Cr and the CTX:OC ratio calculated. Total serum n-6 PUFA (LA + AA) and n - 3 LCPUFA (ALA + EPA + DPA + DHA) were measured and the n - 6:n - 3 ratio was calculated. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age and body mass index (BMI) were 61 (6.4) years and 27.4 (4.8) kg/m2, respectively with participants being 12.6 (7.6) years post-menopause. Multiple regression analysis identified no association between n-3 LCPUFA and any of the measures of T-score or BMD albeit a significant positive association between total n - 3 LCPUFA and femur BMD (ß = 0.287; p = 0.043) was observed within those women with a low n - 6:n - 3 ratio. There was a significant inverse association between ALA and urinary DPD/Cr (ß = - 0.141; p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: A favourable low n - 6:n - 3 ratio was associated with higher femur BMD and a higher n - 3 LCPUFA (ALA) was associated with lower bone resorption. These results support a beneficial role for n - 3 LCPUFA in reducing postmenopausal bone resorption and favourably influencing BMD. TRIAL NUMBER & DATE OF REGISTRATION: ISRCTN63118444, 2nd October 2009, "Retrospectively registered".

Comparison of romosozumab versus denosumab treatment on bone mineral density after 1 year in rheumatoid arthritis patients with severe osteoporosis: A randomized clinical pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of romosozumab versus denosumab treatment on bone mineral density (BMD), disease activity, and joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and severe osteoporosis. METHODS: Fifty-one postmenopausal women were enrolled and randomized equally into two groups to receive either romosozumab or the denosumab. Changes (Δ) in the BMD (at lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck), disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and van der Heijde-modified Total Sharp Score (TSS) from baseline to 12 months after treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: The ΔBMD at 12 months in the romosozumab and denosumab groups were 10.2 ± 5.6% and 5.0 ± 3.1% (p = .002) for the lumbar spine, 3.7 ± 4.9% and 3.5 ± 3.0% (p = .902) for the total hip, and 3.6 ± 4.7% and 3.2 ± 4.9% (p = .817) for the femoral neck, respectively. The ΔDAS28-ESR and ΔTSS at 12 months did not differ between these two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that romosozumab treatment was more effective in increasing the BMD at the lumbar spine than denosumab and may be selected for patients who require a significant increase in the lumbar spine BMD.

Baseline serum PINP level is associated with the increase in hip bone mineral density seen with Romosozumab treatment in previously untreated women with osteoporosis.

Baseline serum PINP value was significantly and independently associated with the increased bone mineral density (≥ 3%) in both total hip and femoral necks by 12 months of romosozumab treatment in patients with treatment-naive postmenopausal osteoporosis. PURPOSE: Some patients fail to obtain a sufficiently increased hip bone mineral density (BMD) by romosozumab (ROMO) treatment. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factor for increased hip BMD with ROMO in patients with treatment-naive postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: This prospective, observational, and multicenter study included patients (n = 63: mean age, 72.6 years; T-scores of the lumbar spine [LS], - 3.3; total hip [TH], - 2.6; femoral neck [FN], - 3.3; serum type I procollagen N-terminal propeptide [PINP], 68.5 µg/L) treated by ROMO for 12 months. BMD and serum bone turnover markers were evaluated at each time point. A responder analysis was performed to assess the patient percentage, and both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the factors associated with clinically significant increased BMD (≥ 3%) in both TH and FN. RESULTS: Percentage changes of BMD from baseline in the LS, TH, and FN areas were 17.5%, 4.9%, and 4.3%, respectively. In LS, 96.8% of patients achieved ≥ 6% increased LS-BMD, although 57.1% could not achieve ≥ 3% increased BMD in either TH or FN. Multiple regression analysis revealed that only the baseline PINP value was significantly and independently associated with ≥ 3% increased BMD in both TH and FN (p = 0.019, 95% confidence interval = 1.006-1.054). The optimal cut-off PINP value was 53.7 µg/L with 54.3% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity (area under the curve = 0.752). CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting, baseline PINP value was associated with the increased BMD of TH and FN by ROMO treatment in treatment-naive patients.

Anogenital index and bone mineral density associations after natural and surgical menopause: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate postmenopausal women to determine whether an anogenital index (AGI) is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) based on the hypothesis that the effects of menopause are similar for both. METHODS: A total of 338 generally healthy postmenopausal women who were referred for a routine annual check and 140 women who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Based on the menopausal status, the women were classified into natural menopause and surgical menopause. AGI was calculated by dividing anogenital distance by body mass index. The BMD of the femoral neck, body of the femur, and lumbar spine (L1 and L2) was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant and same-directional correlation between age and AGI for all cases (r=0.234 and p=0.005). The AGI level decreased as the parity increased (r=-0.582 and p<0.001). The AGI level decreased significantly as the menopause duration was prolonged (r=0.288 and p<0.001). While there was no statistically significant correlation between L2-L4 BMD and AGI (p=0.128), as the femur and femoral neck BMD levels increased, the AGI level increased statistically significantly (r=0.330 and p<0.001, r=0.292 and p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The AGI levels in healthy postmenopausal women give preliminary information about their BMD status. A decrease in AGI levels may predict lower BMD in postmenopausal women. Further larger and well-controlled studies may be required to determine the relationship between AGI and BMD in the future.

Associations of coronary plaque characteristics and coronary calcification with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at investigating the association of postmenopausal osteoporosis in different measurement locations, with the coronary plaque burden and morphology detected by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a total of 223 postmenopausal women who had undergone both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and CCTA. Coronary plaque characteristics were analyzed using CCTA. RESULTS: The number of burdens was higher in the osteoporosis/osteopenia group of patients than in the normal group. Agatston score and BMI were not significantly different between the two groups. T-score femur and bone mineral density (BMD) femur were higher in patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD as compared to those with mild CAD (p=0.036 and p=0.049, respectively), whereas T-score lumbar and BMD lumbar were not significantly different. Non-calcified/mixed plaque burden was an independent predictor of osteopenia/osteoporosis (OR: 1.396, 95% CI 1.007-1.934; p=0.045) together with age (OR: 1.053, 95% CI 1.015-1.093; p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Non-calcified/mixed plaque burden was significantly and independently associated with osteoporosis/osteopenia at femoral neck but not at lumbar spine. Osteopenia/osteoporosis was not significantly associated with CAC.