Advanced MRI to understand bone health after spinal cord injury
Official title: Multi-scale MRI Assessment of Bone Quality and Function in a Chronic Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11212771 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005952-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212771 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
People without spinal cord injury or those whose bone loss is caused by unrelated conditions may not benefit directly from this project.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
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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.