Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS) in Evaluating the Bone Marrow, Muscle and Adipose Tissue on Normal and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Subjects

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is commonly applied in medicine with 1H proton or 31-phosphorus spectra. The proton MRS is often used in evaluating the central nervous system and 31P MRS is used in muscular diseases or neoplasms. However, the proton MRS is also considered to be applied to the musculoskeletal system because of its profound amount of protons. Ballon used the STEAM technique, and Schick used the PRESS technique, to investigate the lipid and water spectra of the bone marrow and also correlated those with hematological diseases and post-treatment effects. Schellinger et al. used the STEAM sequence to calculate the lipid content of the vertebral bone marrow and found that it was influenced according to age and sex. The investigator had used the proton MRS to evaluate the lipid and water spectra of the femoral head and revealed its significance in predicting avascular necrosis of the femoral head. According to the above research literature, the investigators considered further investigation of the proton MRS in evaluating the musculoskeletal system.