AI Brings Osteoarthritis to Its Knees

Osteoarthritis — the wearing down of the protective cartilage between the bones — causes severe joint pain and is a leading cause of disability. Yet this common disease of the bones is one of the most difficult to detect and prevent in its early stages. In the U.S. alone, osteoarthritis is responsible for the majority of total knee and hip replacements. The most prevalent form of the disease affects the knees, occurring in 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women over the age of 60. These numbers are only expected to grow due to aging populations and the obesity epidemic — with huge costs on public health systems and well-being. Hoping to turn this trend around, ImageBiopsy Lab, an Austrian startup and member of our Inception program, is using deep learning to diagnose osteoarthritis of the knees much more efficiently and cost-effectively.