Validity of Ultrashort Echo Time MRI-based Finite Element Analysis of Human Femur Compared to Mechanical Testing

Motivation: Hip fractures pose a substantial health concern commonly associated with osteoporosis. Bone mineral density from Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the standard-of-care test for assessment of osteoporosis and fracture risk, yet many who sustain fragility fractures are above the diagnosis threshold. Goal(s): The objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the validity of MRI Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for predicting bone strength. Approach: Ultrashort Echo Time MRI was used on cadaveric human femur sections and FEA was performed. Results: The stiffness derived from UTE FEA showed a strong correlation with stiffness derived from mechanical testing. Impact: This study compared UTE-based Finite Element Analysis to mechanical testing and found that there was a significant correlation between computational and experimental values. This indicates the potential for UTE MRI to be used in the clinical evaluation of bone strength.