AI Tool Automatically Identifies Fractures on X-Rays Within Seconds

Fractures occur in up to 6,000 per 100,000 population. Emergency medical imaging is an important subspecialty within radiology that helps doctors in emergency departments (EDs) to diagnose and treat fractures. However, missed fractures account for the majority of errors in EDs and cost health systems millions of dollars each year in litigation fees. Now, a new medical imaging artificial intelligence (AI) solution can quickly identify hip fracture cases that need urgent attention in order to prevent patients from developing limb and life threatening conditions, such as avascular necrosis (AVNs). This allows emergency care staff to better identify where to prioritize their resources to have maximum impact, especially in an environment where every moment counts.

RBfracture from Radiobotics (Copenhagen, Denmark) is a new AI tool that assists doctors in EDs in detecting fractures in trauma patients. RBfracture can also add value by assisting emergency care staff as an extra pair of eyes, aiding in detecting if the patient has suffered a fracture. A recent study showed that RBfracture can improve the diagnostic accuracy of emergency healthcare professionals when reviewing hip fracture X-rays. Based on advanced computer vision and state-of-the-art machine learning methods, RBfracture has been trained on more than 100.000 X-rays from 1,300 different facilities in the U.S. and Europe. It is built on the same innovative AI technology used by the company for developing its other tools for MSK X-rays. RBfracture covers the entire appendicular skeleton and can reduce errors, minimize costs, reduce time and improve treatment of patients. RBfracture has been CE-marked under MDR (European Medical Device Regulations) as a class IIa medical device.

Image: RBfracture can automatically identify fractures on X-rays within seconds (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

“We have already shown that emergency doctors find almost 50% more of the hip fractures that would otherwise have been missed when using RBfracture, thus enabling a faster diagnosis for a critical group of patients,” said Michael Lundemann, Clinical Director at Radiobotics. “I am thrilled that RBfracture is now certified against the high European standards on medical devices, demonstrating the necessary quality and safety. This is going to benefit many patients throughout Europe.”

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