Advanced MRI to understand bone health after spinal cord injury
Multi-scale MRI Assessment of Bone Quality and Function in a Chronic Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model
Researchers are using new MRI methods to look at bone structure and bone marrow health in people with long-term spinal cord injury to help prevent fractures and related problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11212771 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone with spinal cord injury, the team is using a rat model of chronic SCI to learn how bone structure, water content, and marrow change over time after injury. They apply advanced MRI techniques called ultrashort echo time (UTE) to capture details of bone matrix, mineral, and vascularity that regular scans miss. The work links these tissue changes to risks like low-impact fractures and bone-marrow problems such as anemia and immune dysfunction. Findings aim to point toward better ways to detect and eventually treat bone fragility in people living with SCI.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is most relevant to adults with chronic spinal cord injury who have low bone density or a history or risk of low-impact fractures.
Not a fit: People without spinal cord injury or those whose bone loss is caused by unrelated conditions may not benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to imaging tools that detect fracture risk and bone-marrow problems earlier and guide treatments to prevent fractures in people with chronic SCI.
How similar studies have performed: Some early animal and human studies of advanced MRI for bone imaging show promise, but applying multi-scale UTE MRI specifically to bone and marrow changes after SCI is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, United States
- VA San Diego Healthcare System — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Eric Y — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Chang, Eric Y
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.