• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Monday, September 8, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Researchers use AI to detect wrist fractures

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
April 28, 2021
in Health
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: Radiological Society of North America

OAK BROOK, Ill. – An automated system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) is effective at detecting a common type of wrist fracture on X-rays, according to a study published in the journal Radiology: Artificial Intelligence. Researchers said the AI-derived algorithm could help speed diagnosis and allow earlier treatment.

Scaphoid fractures are injuries to one of the small bones of the wrist that typically occur when people try to break a fall with their hands. They comprise up to 7% of all skeletal fractures. Prompt diagnosis is important, as the fracture may fail to heal properly if untreated, leading to a host of problems like arthritis and even loss of function.

Conventional X-ray is the imaging technique of choice for diagnosing scaphoid fractures, but it is often limited by overlap of the scaphoid with the surrounding bones of the wrist. Variations in wrist positioning and X-ray technique can also limit the visibility of fractures.

“Consequently, scaphoid fractures can be overlooked during initial X-ray examinations,” said study lead author Nils Hendrix, a Ph.D. candidate at the Jeroen Bosch Hospital and Jheronimus Academy of Data Science in the Netherlands.

Hendrix and colleagues recently studied a system that could aid radiologists in detecting these common fractures. The system is based on deep learning with a convolutional neural network, a sophisticated type of AI that is capable of discerning subtle patterns in images beyond the capabilities of the human eye.

While previous research found that a convolutional neural network was inferior to human observers at identifying scaphoid fractures on X-rays, the new study used larger datasets and further algorithm refinements to improve detection. It also employed class activation maps, which are AI tools that help users understand what region of the image is influencing the network’s predictions.

The researchers used thousands of conventional X-rays of the hand, wrist and scaphoid to develop the system. They tested it on a dataset of 190 X-rays and compared its performance to that of 11 radiologists.

The system had a sensitivity of 78% for detecting fractures with a positive predictive value of 83%, which refers to the likelihood that patients the AI identifies as having a fracture really do have one. Analysis showed that the system performed comparably to the 11 radiologists.

The system has significant potential in clinical use, Hendrix said. It could reduce the incidence and costs of additional imaging exams and unnecessary therapy, speed up diagnosis and allow earlier treatment.

“The system may be able to assist residents, radiologists or other physicians by acting either as a first or second reader, or as a triage tool that helps prioritize worklists, potentially reducing the risk of missing a fracture,” Hendrix said.

Such assistance could prevent delayed therapy and reduce complications that may lead to a subpar clinical outcome, according to Hendrix.

“The convolutional neural network may also reduce unnecessary wrist immobilization, performed out of precaution, in more than half of the patients with clinical suspicion for having a scaphoid fracture,” he said.

The class activation maps were found to overlap with fracture lines in the scaphoid, suggesting they could be used for localizing potential fractures.

Hendrix and colleagues plan to expand the scaphoid fracture detection system so that it can combine multiple X-ray views for its predictions. They are also conducting an experimental study in which radiologists are asked to identify scaphoid fractures on X-rays with and without the aid of the fracture detection system.

The researchers hope to extend the system to fracture detection in other bone structures.

###

“Development and Validation of a Convolutional Neural Network for Automated Detection of Scaphoid Fractures on Conventional Radiographs.” Collaborating with Nils Hendrix were Ernst Scholten, M.D., Ph.D., Bastiaan Vernhout, M.D., Stefan Bruijnen, M.D., Ph.D., Bas Maresch, M.D., Mathijn de Jong, M.D., Suzanne Diepstraten, M.D., Stijn Bollen, M.D., Steven Schalekamp, M.D., Maarten de Rooij, M.D., Ph.D., Alexander Scholtens, M.D., Ward Hendrix, M.Sc., Tijs Samson, M.Sc., Lee-Ling Sharon Ong, Ph.D., Eric Postma, Ph.D., Bram van Ginneken, Ph.D., and Matthieu Rutten, M.D., Ph.D.

Radiology: Artificial Intelligence is edited by Charles E. Kahn Jr., M.D., M.S., Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/ai)

RSNA is an association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. (RSNA.org)

For information on X-rays, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

Media Contact
Linda Brooks
[email protected]

Tags: DiagnosticsMedicine/HealthMusculatureOrthopedic MedicineRobotry/Artificial Intelligence
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Chitosan-Enhanced Therapy Reduces Epidural Scar Adhesions

September 8, 2025

Skin Carotenoids Linked to Health and Lifestyle in Youth

September 8, 2025

Impact of Chronic Pain on Daily Living in Seniors

September 8, 2025

High-Fat Diet Alters Hypothalamic Response by Sex in Mice

September 8, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Breakthrough in Computer Hardware Advances Solves Complex Optimization Challenges

    150 shares
    Share 60 Tweet 38
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    116 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • First Confirmed Human Mpox Clade Ib Case China

    56 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • A Laser-Free Alternative to LASIK: Exploring New Vision Correction Methods

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Chitosan-Enhanced Therapy Reduces Epidural Scar Adhesions

Skin Carotenoids Linked to Health and Lifestyle in Youth

Impact of Chronic Pain on Daily Living in Seniors

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.