| Osteoporosis is a severe global health problem. Early detection and diagnosis are important for the treatment of osteoporosis and the prevention of related complications. Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) are the most common methods to assess bone mineral density. A new method by measuring MRI-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) is proposed and gradually applied. The recent studies have found a moderate correlation between the VBQ score and T-value of DXA, which may be used for osteoporosis screening, prediction of osteoporotic fractures and the occurrence of postoperative complications after spinal fixation (cage subsidence, screw loosening, proximal junctional kyphosis, etc.). This article summarizes the VBQ-related studies of VBQ, to analyze clinical significance of VBQ scores for assessing bone mineral density, the correlation between VBQ scores and DXA, QCT for diagnosis of osteoporosis, the efficiency of VBQ scores, and the value of VBQ scores for prediction of postoperative complications after spinal surgery. This review aims to improve the clinician's understanding of the VBQ scores and its better application in clinic practice. |