Evaluation of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) to detect bone marrow ischemia and perfusion in a piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease

Motivation: A safe, non-contrast-enhanced method to detect bone marrow ischemia and perfusion is needed for imaging children with ischemic bone disorders such as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). Goal(s): To determine if intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) is sensitive in detecting localized regions of bone marrow ischemia and perfusion within the femoral head. Approach: 3T MRI data from N=4 piglets with partial (25-75%) femoral head ischemia were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate and compare IVIM parameters in ischemic vs. perfused regions of the femoral heads as identified by gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI). Results: IVIM detected decreased perfusion parameters in the ischemic vs. perfused regions identified by CE-MRI. Impact: Our results provide additional evidence that IVIM can serve as a non-contrast-enhanced alternative to gadolinium CE-MRI in detecting regions of bone marrow ischemia and perfusion, with potential benefit for pediatric patients with ischemic bone disorders including LCPD.