Artificial intelligence (AI) software developer Optasia Medical said that its osteoporosis detection AI algorithm has been used to detect previously undiagnosed spinal fractures in more than 2,000 patients in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS).
The algorithm identifies vertebral fragility fractures on existing CT scans of the spine and flags the cases for review, according to the vendor. The company said that AI engineers worked with bone health teams in Nottingham, Bradford, and Guildford to identify the vertebral fragility fractures and refer the patients onward for further investigation and treatment.
In July, the company reported that two successful pilot studies were carried out in collaboration with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, resulting in the referral of 1,432 previously undiagnosed patients.
The process was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation program and developed by the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Optasia. Additional input was also provided by the Royal Osteoporosis Society, Optasia said.
![A normal mammogram confirmed by three-year radiologic follow-up illustrates reader-marked regions of interest (ROIs) during (A) unaided (round 1) and (B) artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted (round 2) reading. Each colored dot represents an ROI for recall by a human reader. Readers could mark more than one ROI per case, represented by multiple dots of the same color. During AI-assisted reading, the AI system displayed three visible prompts: two with suspicion of malignancy scores of 35% (left mediolateral oblique [L MLO] and craniocaudal [L CC]) and one with a suspicion of malignancy score of 10% (right craniocaudal [R CC]), shown as polygonal overlays. Without AI, six of 10 readers (60%) marked a false-positive ROI. With AI assistance, this fell to two of 10 (20%). R MLO = right mediolateral oblique.](https://img.auntminnieeurope.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/2026-07-14-radiology-mammogram-ai-auto-bias.H0bYO8QlWs.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
