AI System Detects Frequently Overlooked Fractures on X-ray

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Identifying these easily missed breaks can save patients from future negative complications or loss of function.

A significant number of the most common type of wrist fracture go undetected on X-ray images, setting patients up for potential problems downstream. But, a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated system can improve detection rates.

Scaphoid fractures, which typically occur when someone braces from a fall with their hands, are breaks to one of the small bones in the wrist. They account for up to 89 percent of carpal bone fractures and make up approximately 7 percent of all skeletal fractures. They are difficult to see radiologically, though.

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

In fact, as many as 50 percent of these breaks can go undetected, leaving up to 12 percent of patients vulnerable to a non-union. If that occurs, individuals can develop avascular necrosis, carpal instability, and osteoarthritis, or they could face surgery for bone re-positioning and fixation or resection of the proximal carpal row. In the most severe circumstances, patient could lose function.

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