MRI-Based Vertebral Bone Quality Score and Paravertebral Muscle Parameters for Identifying Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures.
BACKGROUND Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are prevalent but frequently remain unrecognized. While bone mineral density (BMD) is the primary assessment tool, MRI-based parameters associated with bone and muscle quality may offer additional value, yet sex-specific analyses are limited, despite sex differences in incidence and hormones. PURPOSE To explore the associations between MRI-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score, psoas muscle index (PMI), and paravertebral muscle fat infiltration (FI) fraction with OVCFs, and to assess the potential diagnostic performance of MRI parameters across sexes. STUDY TYPE Retrospective. POPULATION 260 subjects (≥ 50 years); 130 OVCF patients (73.0 years (67.0-80.0), 89 females) and 130 non-fracture (NF) patients (64.5 years (58.0-73.0), 76 females). FIELD STRENGTH AND SEQUENCES 3 T and 1.5 T. T1-weighted TSE and T2-weighted TSE (Siemens) and T1-weighted FSE and T2-weighted FSE (United Imaging). ASSESSMENT VBQ was calculated on sagittal T1-weighted MRI; PMI and FI were quantified on axial T2-weighted MRI at the L3 endplate by ImageJ. BMD was derived from CT using QCT PRO software. Two trained observers, blinded to clinical data, performed all MRI measurements. STATISTICAL TESTS Significance level was set at p < 0.05. t-test/Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test (χ2), Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, multivariate logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with area under the curve (AUC). Bootstrap resampling (1000 iterations) for internal validation. RESULTS The OVCF group exhibited significantly elevated VBQ (3.71 ± 0.55 vs. 3.25 ± 0.58) and FI (24.11% (21.66-28.92) vs. 20.31% (18.90-22.14)), while PMI (3.42 ± 1.02 vs. 4.08 ± 1.14) and BMD (55.82 mg/cm3 (38.75-70.90) vs. 89.24 mg/cm3 (67.80-110.00)) were reduced. FI was independently associated with OVCFs exclusively in females (OR = 1.566). The combined MRI model (VBQ + FI + PMI) yielded a significantly higher AUC in females (AUC = 0.896) than in males (AUC = 0.720). DATA CONCLUSION VBQ, PMI, and FI reveal significant sex-specific correlations with OVCFs. The multi-parametric MRI model shows considerable potential as a diagnostic aid for OVCFs in individuals aged over 50, particularly in females. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE 2 (Diagnostic Accuracy).