Ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging with bi-component analysis: bound and free water evaluation of bovine cortical bone subject to sequential drying.

Recent proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy studies have shown that cortical bone exists as different components which have distinct transverse relaxation times (T2s). However, cortical bone shows zero or near zero signal with all conventional MR sequences on clinical scanners and the different water components cannot be assessed with this approach. In order to detect signal in this situation a two-dimensional (2D) non-slice selective ultrashort echo time (UTE) pulse sequence with a nominal TE of 8 μs was used together with bi-component analysis to quantify bound and free water in bovine cortical bone at 3T. Total water concentration was quantified using a 3D UTE sequence together with a reference water phantom. 2D and 3D UTE imaging were performed on 14 bovine bone samples which were subjected to sequential air drying to evaluate free water loss, followed by oven drying to evaluate bound water loss. Sequential bone weight loss was measured concurrently using a precision balance. Bone porosity was measured with micro computed tomography (μCT) imaging. UTE measured free water loss was higher than the volume of cortical pores measured with μCT, but lower than the gravimetric bone water loss measured during air drying. UTE assessed bound water loss was about 82% of gravimetric bone water loss during oven drying. On average bovine cortical bone showed about 13% free water and 87% bound water. There was a high correlation (R=0.91; P<0.0001) between UTE MR measured free water loss and gravimetric bone weight loss during sequential air drying, and a significant correlation (R=0.69; P<0.01) between UTE bound water loss and gravimetric bone weight loss during oven drying. These results show that UTE bi-component analysis can reliably quantify bound and free water in cortical bone. The technique has potential applications for the in vivo evaluation of bone porosity and organic matrix.

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