Parametric sensitivity of MRI-based vertebral bone quality scores: Impact of repetition time and echo time on diagnostic effect for osteoporosis.

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of repetition time (TR) and echo time (TE) on vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores and their diagnostic performance for osteoporosis. Patients aged ≥45 with lumbar degenerative diseases were enrolled. Relationships between VBQ scores, TR, TE, and T-scores were analyzed using linear regression and Pearson's correlation. Inter-group comparisons across varied MRI scanners and bone quality categories were performed. Diagnostic performance across 1.5 T scanners with distinct TR/TE parameters was evaluated via Receiver operating characteristic curves. This study included 168 eligible patients (50 osteoporosis; mean age: 63.74 ± 9.08; 113 females). Significant inter-scanner differences existed for TR, TE and VBQ scores (all p < 0.001). Notably, Philips utilized significantly shorter TR and TE than Siemens. VBQ scores correlated inversely with TR and TE (both p < 0.01). At 1.5 T, VBQ scores correlated more strongly with T-scores in Philips (r = -0.54) than in Siemens (r = -0.38) (both p < 0.001). For assessing osteoporosis, 1.5 T Philips outperformed Siemens (Area Under the Curves: 0.79 vs. 0.70). At their respective optimal cut-offs (3.87 vs. 3.17), 1.5 T Philips yielded 87% specificity and 60% sensitivity; 1.5 T Siemens showed 61% specificity and 81% sensitivity. This study confirmed that VBQ measurement is highly sensitive to acquisition parameters. Utilizing shorter TR and TE significantly optimizes VBQ measurements and enhance their diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, standardizing MRI parameters is vital to ensure consistent VBQ measurements across research and clinical settings.