Fig. 6: CT-based identification of BMAT in humans.

a Representative MRI (HASTE) and CT images from one subject. b HU distribution of scWAT, BMAT-rich BM (sternum) and BMAT-deficient BM (vertebrae). Data are mean ± SEM (n = 33). Thresholds diagnostic for BMAT (<115) and RM (115–300) are indicated by dashed lines. c ROC analysis to identify HU thresholds to distinguish BMAT-rich (sternum) from BMAT-deficient (vertebrae) regions of BM. d CT images of a 32-year-old subject, highlighting BMAT or RM identified using the diagnostic thresholds in (b); tibiae are shown for completeness but were not present in any other available CT scans. e Quantification of BMAT in CT scans of male and female subjects aged <60 or >60 years. A HU threshold of <115 was used to identify BMAT voxels in BM of the indicated bones, and total BM volume was also determined. The proportion of the BM cavity corresponding to BMAT (Ad.V/Ma.V) was then calculated. Data are shown as box-and-whisker plots of the following numbers of subjects for each group: <60 years, n = 28 (humerus), 9 (femur) or 27 (clavicle, sternum and vertebrae); >60 years, n = 7 for each bone; boxes indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles; whiskers display the range; and horizontal lines in each box represent the median. Significant differences between <60 and >60 groups are indicated by ***P < 0.001 and were assessed using a two-tailed Welch’s t test for normally distributed data (Sternum) and a two-tailed Mann–Whitney test for non-normally distributed data (Femur, Humerus, Clavicle and Vertebrae). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.