Age-Related Changes in the Bone Marrow

AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo summarize current knowledge with regards to age-related changes in the bone marrow from childhood to senility and discuss how these changes are affected in patients with osteoporosis.Recent FindingsThere is a dramatic increase in marrow fat content in females around the time of the menopause in line with a reduction in bone mass. Marrow fat content is very responsive to physiological changes in estrogen and increase in marrow fat can be reversed by estrogen replacement. Marrow fat composition, rather than content, seems to be related to insufficiency fracture and diabetes.SummaryMR imaging is a very good way of non-invasively studying marrow fat changes throughout life —both content and composition. Marrow fat content is an inverse marker of red marrow content. Red marrow content drives bone perfusion. Bone perfusion affects marrow nutrition and bone healing. Research into the fascinating bone-fat-perfusion relationship has only just began.
Source: Current Radiology Reports - Category: Radiology Source Type: research