Current applications of artificial intelligence in hand and wrist surgery

Applications of artificial intelligence and convolutional neural networks in healthcare are rapidly expanding, with an initial focus on experimental and proof-of-concept studies now shifting towards implementation in clinical practice. In other specialties, artificial intelligence models have been shown to be capable of recognising suspicious masses in mammograms, classifying diabetic retinopathy or pulmonary tuberculosis. Within hand and wrist surgery, artificial intelligence technology is being tested and considered for use in aspects of pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative care. A growing body of evidence supports the accuracy of artificial intelligence in recognising fractures of the hand and wrist, consistent with similar radiological applications of this technology throughout orthopaedic surgery. Scaphoid fracture detection in particular represents a valuable application of artificial intelligence as plain wrist radiographs are known to have low sensitivity despite being the most accessible and cost-effective imaging modality. Further applications include diagnosing osteoporosis based on metacarpal cortical thickness, and as a screening tool for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome. This presentation will summarise and discuss current and emerging applications of artificial intelligence models in hand and wrist surgery.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, convolutional neural network, scaphoid fracture, hand surgery, wrist surgery