| Osteoporosis (OP) is a common metabolic bone disease in the elderly, which leads to the increased incidence of disability and mortality caused by fragility fracture. In recent years, a growing number of studies have found that the fatty acids (FAs) in the bone marrow microenvironment regulates the key signaling pathways that are involved in bone cells growth, differentiation, inflammation, and apoptosis process, and activates/expresses different nuclear transcription factors that play important roles in bone homeostasis, further affects the survival and function of the adjacent bone cells, and finally causes OP. In order to clarify the mechanism of bone marrow FAs action in OP, the bone marrow FAs of animals and humans have been quantitatively analyzed by researchers with magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical shift-encoded magnetic resonance imaging and metabolomics. The classification of FAs, bone marrow FAs components, quantitative analysis techniques of bone marrow FAs and the possible mechanisms of various FAs on OP formation are reviewed in this paper, in order to provide guidance for the OP intervention and therapeutic strategies. |