Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density Measurement: Comparison of Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry and Fat Content Evaluation by Dixon Chemical Shift MRI.

Background: To assess whether the fat signal intensity and fat fraction (FF) of the lumbar vertebrae as measured on the Dixon chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique can be correlated with the lumbar vertebra bone mineral density (BMD) measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Methods: Forty-five patients were retrospectively collected, and 180 lumbar vertebral bodies (L1-L4) were included. All patients underwent DXA and MRI examinations of the lumbar spine.