{
  "abstract": "Background: Osteoporosis is frequently underrecognized in patients undergoing lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), creating an opportunity for imaging-based case finding. Methods: This retrospective diagnostic accuracy study evaluated the MRI-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score against quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-defined osteoporosis, its incremental diagnostic value beyond age and sex, and the stability of a threshold derived under a standardized 1.5-T protocol. Among 281 consecutive adults, 278 formed the primary MRI cohort and 234 with valid L1–L2 QCT measurements formed the reference-standard cohort; 51 had osteoporosis. VBQ was calculated from L1–L4 T1-weighted vertebral signal intensities normalized to L3 cerebrospinal fluid intensity. Results: Interobserver reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC(2,2)), 0.919; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.899–0.935). VBQ correlated inversely with QCT volumetric bone mineral density (r = −0.687; p < 0.001) and remained independently associated with osteoporosis after adjustment for age and sex (adjusted OR, 6.08; 95% CI, 2.36–15.68). Adding VBQ increased the apparent model area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) from 0.847 to 0.896 (bootstrap optimism-corrected AUCs, 0.839 and 0.887). Standalone AUCs were 0.833 for VBQ and 0.863 for fat fraction. A VBQ threshold >3.7047 yielded 74.51% sensitivity and 83.06% specificity, but bootstrap-selected thresholds varied (2.5th–97.5th percentiles, 3.409–3.851). Conclusion: VBQ may provide an adjunctive opportunistic marker on routine lumbar MRI. However, its threshold is exploratory and requires external validation; VBQ should not be used alone to exclude osteoporosis.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 439 Xuanhua Road, Yongchuan District, Chongqing 402160, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhongzheng Yan",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-2485-7873"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gaohai Shao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Meichao Deng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xun Tang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mengfan Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yiming Qu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hongjun Zhang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0m98qmxmnccx4.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/jcm15218752",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0m98qmxmnccx4",
  "issns": [
    "2077-0383"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8752",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-09",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0m98qmxmnccx4.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T00:21:41Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/jcm15218752",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8752"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "MRI-Based Vertebral Bone Quality Score for QCT-Defined Osteoporosis: Incremental Diagnostic Value and an Exploratory 1.5-T Threshold in a Retrospective Study",
  "title_text": "MRI-Based Vertebral Bone Quality Score for QCT-Defined Osteoporosis: Incremental Diagnostic Value and an Exploratory 1.5-T Threshold in a Retrospective Study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T00:21:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0m98qmxmnccx4",
  "venue": "Journal of Clinical Medicine",
  "versions": []
}