MRI-based textural analysis of trabecular bone

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a computer system, one or more images of one or more bones of a patient, wherein the one or more images are generated by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
• determining, by the computer system, a plurality of first metrics indicative of an image texture of the one or more images, wherein the plurality of first metrics comprises:
• an inverse difference moment associated with the one or more images, wherein the inverse difference moment is associated with a plurality of spatial directions,
• an angular second moment of the one or more images,
• a contrast of the one or more images, and
• an entropy associated with the one or more images;
• determining, by the computer system, at least one of a bone risk or a bone health of the patient based on the plurality of first metrics, wherein determining the bone health of the patient comprises determining a second metric that indicates at least one of (i) whether the patient suffers from osteoporosis or (ii) a bone fracture risk for the patient, wherein the second metric is a weighted sum of the plurality of first metrics,
• wherein the weighted sum of the plurality of first metrics comprises:
• a first term representing a first weight multiplied by the inverse difference moment associated with the one or more images,
• a second term representing a second weight multiplied by the angular second moment of the one or more images,
• a third term representing a third weight multiplied by the contrast of the one or more images,
• a fourth term representing a fourth weight multiplied by the entropy associated with the one or more images, and
• wherein determining the second metric comprises summing at least the first term, second term, third term, and fourth term.