Evaluation of the relationship between the severity of sarcopenia and osteoporosis: A magnetic resonance imaging and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the presence of sarcopenia which was graded according to Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging in paraspinal muscles and explore the degree of osteoporosis by bone mineral density. Lumber MR images of 69 female patients complaining of back pain and Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) examinations were evaluated retrospectively. On MR imaging, the degree of sarcopenia in the paraspinal muscles of these patients was graded as normal, moderate and severe according to the simplified 3-Tier classification which is considered a Modified Goutallier classification by two radiologists. DXA examinations were categorized based on the t-score, with scores above -2.5 denoting osteopenia and scores below -2.5 indicating osteoporosis. Grades of atrophy in paraspinal muscles were found to be normal (n=15, 21.7%), moderate (n=43, 62.3%) and severe (n=11, 15.9%). The degree of paraspinal muscle atrophy was found to be lower in patients with osteopenia compared to patients with osteoporosis by both observers. (Radiologist 1 p: 0.284, radiologist 2 p: 0.047). As the degree of atrophy in the paraspinal muscles increases, the DXA t score decreases in some osteoporotic patients. Paraspinal muscle atrophy detected on lumbar MRI and DXA T scores are correlated in patients with low back pain. Identifying pathways affecting both bone and muscle units will facilitate developmental entities aiming to treat both conditions.