A comprehensive set of ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers to assess cortical bone health: A feasibility study at clinical field strength.

Introduction: Conventional bone imaging methods primarily use X-ray techniques to assess bone mineral density (BMD), focusing exclusively on the mineral phase. This approach lacks information about the organic phase and bone water content, resulting in an incomplete evaluation of bone health. Recent research highlights the potential of ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging (UTE MRI) to measure cortical porosity and estimate BMD based on signal intensity.

Building research capacity in primary care practices that serve predominantly racial and ethnic minority populations.

Primary care research represents only 1% of all federally funded projects. However, innovation in primary care is central to advancing health care delivery. Indeed, leaders in health care innovation recently called for primary care payment reform proposals to be tested in accountable care organizations (ACOs) consisting of independent practices (ie, practices not owned by hospitals).

Ex vivo exposure to calcitonin or raloxifene improves mechanical properties of diseased bone through non-cell mediated mechanisms.

Raloxifene (RAL) reduces clinical fracture risk despite modest effects on bone mass and density. This reduction in fracture risk may be due to improved material level-mechanical properties through a non-cell mediated increase in bone hydration. Synthetic salmon calcitonin (CAL) has also demonstrated efficacy in reducing fracture risk with only modest bone mass and density improvements.

Combined Thermoneutral Housing and Raloxifene Treatment Improves Trabecular Bone Microarchitecture and Strength in Growing Female Mice.

Thermoneutral housing and Raloxifene (RAL) treatment both have potential for improving mechanical and architectural properties of bone. Housing mice within a 30 to 32 °C range improves bone quality by reducing the consequences of cold stress, such as shivering and metabolic energy consumption (Chevalier et al. in Cell Metab 32(4):575-590.