Osteoporosis　is　related　to　changes　in　vertebral　bone　marrow　tissues,　which　can　be　detected　by　MRI.　A　novel　MRI　scoring　method　based　on　routine　T1　and　T2　sequences　has　been　developed　and　demonstrated　capabilities　in　detecting　osteoporosis　and　discriminating　vertebral　fractures.　The　scoring　method　may　provide　an　alternative　tool　other　than　BMD　measurement　for　broad,　opportunistic　use　in　clinics.　Purpose　As　a　routinely　used　radiation-free　modality　at　the　spine,　magnetic　resonance　imaging　(MRI)　is　promising　to　assess　osteoporosis　because　it　can　detect　age-　or　osteoporosis-related　changes　in　bone　marrow　tissues.　Here,　we　proposed　a　new　MRI　scoring　method　using　the　patient＇s　low-back　subcutaneous　fat　and　cerebrospinal　fluid　as　reference　controls　on　routine　T1　and　T2　sequences,　respectively,　to　indicate　proton-rich　changes　in　vertebrae　for　assessing　osteoporosis　and　vertebral　fractures.　Methods　The　study　included　60　female　patients　(64.1　+/-　15.9　years)　who　underwent　both　MRI　and　quantitative　computed　tomography　(QCT)　at　spine.　T1-based　F-score(sc.fat)　and　T2-based　W-score(cs.fluid)　were　defined　as　the　median　signal　intensity　(SI)　from　L1　to　L5　over　their　reference　controls.　QCT-measured　vertebral　BMD　was　used　for　defining　osteoporosis.　Receiver　operating　characteristic　(ROC)　analysis　was　performed　to　evaluate　the　diagnostic　performances　of　the　new　scores　for　osteoporosis　and　vertebral　fractures,　which　were　also　compared　with　L1-L5　signal-to-noise　ratio　(SNRL1-L5)　or　SNR-based　vertebral　bone　quality　(VBQ)　score.　Results　The　F-score(sc.fat)　and　W-score(cs.fluid)　increased　significantly　by　25.3%　and　22%,　respectively,　in　patients　with　osteoporosis　compared　to　non-osteoporosis.　Age　was　also　found　to　be　significantly　different　between　non-osteoporosis　and　osteoporosis　(49.92　and　74.03　years,　p　＜　.001).　ROC　analysis　indicated　that　F-score(sc.fat)　had　a　greater　AUC　value　(0.85,　p　＜　.001)　than　VBQ　score　(0.77)　and　SNRL1-L5　(0.71)　when　being　used　to　detect　osteoporosis.　For　separating　vertebral　fractures　from　non-fractures,　F-score(sc.fat)　resulted　in　the　largest　AUC　value　of　0.81　(p　＜　.001),　compared　to　W-score(cs.fluid)　(0.74),　VBQ　(0.72),　and　SNRL1-L5　(0.75).　Conclusion　A　new　MRI　scoring　method　based　on　routine　T1　and　T2　sequences　has　been　developed　and　demonstrated　improved　abilities　in　detecting　osteoporosis　and　discriminating　vertebral　fractures　over　VBQ　and　SNR.