Texture measure from low resolution MR images to determine trabecular bone integrity in osteoporosis

Bone architectural information can be derived from structural indices calculated from high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images. However, high resolution scans are time consuming and prone to motion artifacts and hence are not routinely feasible. The purpose of this study is to determine if a correlation exists between 3D structural indices calculated from high-resolution MR images and 3D co-occurrence texture features calculated from lower resolution MR images. Regression analysis indicates a strong correlation between the structural indices and the texture features. This study highlights the potential of using surrogate texture markers extracted from readily acquired clinical MR images to quantify bone architecture, circumventing the need for high resolution MR imaging.