Emerging Role of 18F-NaF PET/Computed Tomographic Imaging in Osteoporosis: A Potential Upgrade to the Osteoporosis Toolbox

Aaron J Sheppard; Sriram S Paravastu; Natalia M Wojnowski; Charles C Osamor 3rd; Faraz Farhadi; Michael T Collins; Babak Saboury

doi:10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.001

Emerging Role of ¹⁸F-NaF PET/Computed Tomographic Imaging in Osteoporosis: A Potential Upgrade to the Osteoporosis Toolbox

PET Clin. 2023 Jan;18(1):1-20. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.001.

Authors

Aaron J Sheppard¹, Sriram S Paravastu¹, Natalia M Wojnowski², Charles C Osamor 3rd¹, Faraz Farhadi³, Michael T Collins¹, Babak Saboury⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 30 Convent Drive, Building 30, Room 228, Bethesda, MD 20892-4320, USA.
² National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 30 Convent Drive, Building 30, Room 228, Bethesda, MD 20892-4320, USA; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 420 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
³ Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-4320, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
⁴ Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-4320, USA. Electronic address: babak.saboury@nih.gov.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder that leads to a decline in bone microarchitecture, predisposing individuals to catastrophic fractures. The current standard of care relies on detecting bone structural change; however, these methods largely miss the complex biologic forces that drive these structural changes and response to treatment. This review introduces sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) as a powerful tool to quantify bone metabolism. Here, we discuss the methods of 18F-NaF PET/CT, with a special focus on dynamic scans to quantify parameters relevant to bone health, and how these markers are relevant to osteoporosis.

Keywords: Bone Metabolism; Bone Turnover; Bone mineral density; Osteoporosis; Sodium fluoride ((18)F-NaF) PET/CT.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Fractures, Bone*
Humans
Osteoporosis* / diagnostic imaging
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
Sodium Fluoride
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

Sodium Fluoride

Grants and funding

Z99 CL999999/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States