MRI in Metabolic Disease

Metabolic spine disease lies on the dynamic nature of bone constantly changing and adapting in response to load variations in the body. The ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect even the slightest changes in water content makes it an invaluable tool for imaging soft tissue pathology and edema associated with metabolic diseases of the spine. Furthermore, MRI can also serve as a preoperative guide for the treatment of such diseases. In this chapter, we summarize and discuss osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, and renal osteodystrophy. The pathophysiology of each disease is reviewed briefly, along with the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria, relevant findings on MRI, and how these findings can be used by the orthopedic surgeon to diagnose and treat patients suffering from these diseases.