Semin Musculoskelet Radiol
DOI: 10.1055/a-2836-8033
Authors
Author Affiliations
Salvatore Gitto
1
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano,
Milan, Italy
2
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
Patrick Omoumi
3
Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland
Domenico Albano
4
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, Università degli
Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
5
Department of Radiology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
Pau Xiberta
6
Graphics and Imaging Laboratory, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia
Silvia Rossi
7
Department of Neuroradiology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan,
Italy
Aldo Rizzo
2
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
Carmelo Messina
1
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano,
Milan, Italy
8
UOC Radiodiagnostica, ASST Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico Gaetano
Pini-CTO, Milan, Italy
Alessandra Splendiani
9
Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila,
L'Aquila, Italy
Antonio Barile
9
Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila,
L'Aquila, Italy
Luca Maria Sconfienza
1
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano,
Milan, Italy
2
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
Source of Funding This study was supported by European Union - Next Generation EU - NRRP M6C2 - Investment
2.1 Enhancement and strengthening of biomedical research in the NHS - Project Code
PNRR-TR1-2023-12377797 (CUP C43C24000470001). The funding source provided financial
support without any influence on the preparation and writing of the manuscript. The
principal investigator (Luca Maria Sconfienza) and co-principal investigator (Salvatore
Gitto) had the final responsibility for the decision to submit the article for publication.
Further Information(opens Publication History section)Also available at
Buy Article(opens in new window) Permissions and Reprints(opens in new window)

Abstract
Spinal disorders, one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, are routinely
assessed on imaging studies. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence for spine
imaging interpretation may significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and workflow
efficiency, using deep learning and conventional machine learning methods. This narrative
review focuses on the innovative artificial intelligence applications in spine imaging
interpretation with a pathology-based approach: vertebral fractures, spinal deformities,
degenerative disease, skeletal tumors, inflammatory disorders, and opportunistic screening.
We provide musculoskeletal radiologists with an up-to-date overview of artificial
intelligence applications in spine imaging, thus assisting them in an efficient use
of these emerging technologies and promoting clinical adoption.
Keywords
artificial intelligence -
computer-aided diagnosis -
convolutional neural network -
deep learning -
machine learning
Publication History
Received: 10 January 2026
Accepted: 15 March 2026
Article published online:
14 April 2026
© 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved.
Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
References
1
Russell S,
Bohannon J.
Artificial intelligence. Fears of an AI pioneer. Science 2015; 349 (6245): 252
2
Erickson BJ,
Korfiatis P,
Akkus Z,
Kline TL.
Machine learning for medical imaging. Radiographics 2017; 37 (02) 505-515
3
Aljuaid A,
Anwar M.
Survey of supervised learning for medical image processing. SN Comput Sci 2022; 3
(04) 292
4
Raza K,
Singh NK.
A tour of unsupervised deep learning for medical image analysis. Curr Med Imaging
2021; 17 (09) 1059-1077
5
Hu M,
Zhang J,
Matkovic L,
Liu T,
Yang X.
Reinforcement learning in medical image analysis: concepts, applications, challenges,
and future directions. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2023; 24 (02) e13898
6
Chartrand G,
Cheng PM,
Vorontsov E.
et al.
Deep learning: a primer for radiologists. Radiographics 2017; 37 (07) 2113-2131
7
Soffer S,
Ben-Cohen A,
Shimon O,
Amitai MM,
Greenspan H,
Klang E.
Convolutional neural networks for radiologic images: a radiologist's guide. Radiology
2019; 290 (03) 590-606
8
Chang YC,
Del Toro C,
Gjolaj JP,
Braga TA,
Subhawong TK.
Can artificial intelligence in spine imaging affect current practice? Practical developments
and their clinical status. N Am Spine Soc J 2025; 23: 100621
9
Gitto S,
Serpi F,
Albano D.
et al.
AI applications in musculoskeletal imaging: a narrative review. Eur Radiol Exp 2024;
8 (01) 22
10
Lee S,
Jung J-Y,
Mahatthanatrakul A,
Kim J-S.
Artificial intelligence in spinal imaging and patient care: a review of recent advances.
Neurospine 2024; 21 (02) 474-486
11
Lee YH.
Efficiency improvement in a busy radiology practice: determination of musculoskeletal
magnetic resonance imaging protocol using deep-learning convolutional neural networks.
J Digit Imaging 2018; 31 (05) 604-610
12
Kalra A,
Chakraborty A,
Fine B,
Reicher J.
Machine learning for automation of radiology protocols for quality and efficiency
improvement. J Am Coll Radiol 2020; 17 (09) 1149-1158
13
Estler A,
Hauser TK,
Brunnée M.
et al.
Deep learning-accelerated image reconstruction in back pain-MRI imaging: reduction
of acquisition time and improvement of image quality. Radiol Med 2024; 129 (03) 478-487
14
Yang A,
Finkelstein M,
Koo C,
Doshi AH.
Impact of deep learning image reconstruction methods on MRI throughput. Radiol Artif
Intell 2024; 6 (03) e230181
15
Galbusera F,
Bassani T,
Casaroli G.
et al.
Generative models: an upcoming innovation in musculoskeletal radiology? A preliminary
test in spine imaging. Eur Radiol Exp 2018; 2 (01) 29
16
Bharadwaj UU,
Chin CT,
Majumdar S.
Practical applications of artificial intelligence in spine imaging: a review. Radiol
Clin North Am 2024; 62 (02) 355-370
17
Patel K,
Cooper P,
Belani P,
Doshi A.
Artificial intelligence in spine imaging: a paradigm shift in diagnosis and care.
Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2025; 33 (02) 389-398
18
Huber FA,
Guggenberger R.
AI MSK clinical applications: spine imaging. Skeletal Radiol 2022; 51 (02) 279-291
19
Verheijen EJA,
Kapogiannis T,
Munteh D.
et al.
Artificial intelligence for segmentation and classification in lumbar spinal stenosis:
an overview of current methods. Eur Spine J 2025; 34 (03) 1146-1155
20
Li H,
Luo H,
Huan W.
et al.
Automatic lumbar spinal MRI image segmentation with a multi-scale attention network.
Neural Comput Appl 2021; 33 (18) 11589-11602
21
Dallora AL,
Anderberg P,
Kvist O,
Mendes E,
Diaz Ruiz S,
Sanmartin Berglund J.
Bone age assessment with various machine learning techniques: a systematic literature
review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2019; 14 (07) e0220242
22
Lems WF,
Paccou J,
Zhang J.
et al;
International Osteoporosis Foundation Fracture Working Group.
Vertebral fracture: epidemiology, impact and use of DXA vertebral fracture assessment
in fracture liaison services. Osteoporos Int 2021; 32 (03) 399-411
23
McCarthy J,
Davis A.
Diagnosis and management of vertebral compression fractures. Am Fam Physician 2016;
94 (01) 44-50
24
Wáng YXJ,
Santiago FR,
Deng M,
Nogueira-Barbosa MH.
Identifying osteoporotic vertebral endplate and cortex fractures. Quant Imaging Med
Surg 2017; 7 (05) 555-591
25
Liawrungrueang W,
Cholamjiak W,
Promsri A.
et al.
Artificial intelligence for cervical spine fracture detection: a systematic review
of diagnostic performance and clinical potential. Global Spine J 2025; 15 (04) 2547-2558
26
Bečulić H,
Begagić E,
Džidić-Krivić A.
et al.
Sensitivity and specificity of machine learning and deep learning algorithms in the
diagnosis of thoracolumbar injuries resulting in vertebral fractures: a systematic
review and meta-analysis. Brain Spine 2024; 4: 102809
27
Hosseini-Siyanaki MR,
Ahmadi B,
Sagdic HS.
et al.
Deep learning in vertebral fracture detection: systematic review and meta-analysis
of subject- vs. vertebra-level approaches. Acad Radiol 2026; 33 (02) 522-543
28
Husarek J,
Hess S,
Razaeian S.
et al.
Artificial intelligence in commercial fracture detection products: a systematic review
and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. Sci Rep 2024; 14 (01) 23053
29
Namireddy SR,
Gill SS,
Peerbhai A.
et al.
Artificial intelligence in risk prediction and diagnosis of vertebral fractures. Sci
Rep 2024; 14 (01) 30560
30
Ames CP,
Scheer JK,
Lafage V.
et al.
Adult spinal deformity: epidemiology, health impact, evaluation, and management. Spine
Deform 2016; 4 (04) 310-322
31
Schwab F,
Dubey A,
Gamez L.
et al.
Adult scoliosis: prevalence, SF-36, and nutritional parameters in an elderly volunteer
population. Spine 2005; 30 (09) 1082-1085
32
Kim HJ,
Yang JH,
Chang DG.
et al.
Adult spinal deformity: current concepts and decision-making strategies for management.
Asian Spine J 2020; 14 (06) 886-897
33
Kyrölä KK,
Salme J,
Tuija J,
Tero I,
Eero K,
Arja H.
Intra- and interrater reliability of sagittal spinopelvic parameters on full-spine
radiographs in adults with symptomatic spinal disorders. Neurospine 2018; 15 (02)
175-181
34
Goldman SN,
Hui AT,
Choi S.
et al.
Applications of artificial intelligence for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: mapping
the evidence. Spine Deform 2024; 12 (06) 1545-1570
35
Bishara A,
Patel S,
Warman A.
et al.
Artificial intelligence automated measurements of spinopelvic parameters in adult
spinal deformity: a systematic review. Spine Deform 2025; 13 (05) 1289-1304
36
Lam C,
Tasong J,
Bulut H.
et al.
Artificial intelligence in early onset scoliosis: a scoping review. Spine Deform 2026;
14 (02) 389-397
37
Tomaiuolo R,
Banfi G,
Messina C,
Albano D,
Gitto S,
Sconfienza LM.
Health technology assessment in musculoskeletal radiology: the case study of EOSedge™.
Radiol Med 2024; 129 (07) 1076-1085
38
Galbusera F,
Cina A,
Bassani T,
Panico M,
Sconfienza LM.
Automatic diagnosis of spinal disorders on radiographic images: leveraging existing
unstructured datasets with natural language processing. Global Spine J 2023; 13 (05)
1257-1266
39
Kalichman L,
Cole R,
Kim DH.
et al.
Spinal stenosis prevalence and association with symptoms: the Framingham Study. Spine
J 2009; 9 (07) 545-550
40
Yang X,
Zhang Y,
Li Y,
Wu Z.
Performance of artificial intelligence in diagnosing lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic
review and meta-analysis. Spine 2025; 50 (10) E179-E196
41
Ravindra VM,
Senglaub SS,
Rattani A.
et al.
Degenerative lumbar spine disease: estimating global incidence and worldwide volume.
Global Spine J 2018; 8 (08) 784-794
42
Wang B,
Rosenthal DI,
Xu C.
et al.
The effect of computer-assisted reporting on interreader variability of lumbar spine
MRI degenerative findings: five readers with 30 disc levels. J Am Coll Radiol 2018;
15 (11) 1613-1619
43
Liawrungrueang W,
Park J-B,
Cholamjiak W,
Sarasombath P,
Riew KD.
Artificial intelligence-assisted MRI diagnosis in lumbar degenerative disc disease:
a systematic review. Global Spine J 2025; 15 (02) 1405-1418
44
Cohen SP,
Raja SN.
Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of lumbar zygapophysial (facet) joint pain.
Anesthesiology 2007; 106 (03) 591-614
45
Bharadwaj UU,
Christine M,
Li S.
et al.
Deep learning for automated, interpretable classification of lumbar spinal stenosis
and facet arthropathy from axial MRI. Eur Radiol 2023; 33 (05) 3435-3443
46
Kalichman L,
Kim DH,
Li L,
Guermazi A,
Berkin V,
Hunter DJ.
Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis: prevalence and association with low back pain
in the adult community-based population. Spine 2009; 34 (02) 199-205
47
Matz PG,
Meagher RJ,
Lamer T.
et al.
Guideline summary review: an evidence-based clinical guideline for the diagnosis and
treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Spine J 2016; 16 (03) 439-448
48
da Silva WM,
Cazella SC,
Rech RS.
Deep learning algorithms to assist in imaging diagnosis in individuals with disc herniation
or spondylolisthesis: a scoping review. Int J Med Inform 2025; 201: 105933
49
Pahlevan-Fallahy M-T,
Asgari AM,
Soltani Khaboushan A.
et al.
Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence in spondylolisthesis
detection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acad Radiol 2026; 33 (03) 1034-1048
50
Van den Brande R,
Cornips EM,
Peeters M,
Ost P,
Billiet C,
Van de Kelft E.
Epidemiology of spinal metastases, metastatic epidural spinal cord compression and
pathologic vertebral compression fractures in patients with solid tumors: a systematic
review. J Bone Oncol 2022; 35: 100446
51
Albano D,
Messina C,
Gitto S,
Papakonstantinou O,
Sconfienza LM.
Differential diagnosis of spine tumors: my favorite mistake. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol
2019; 23 (01) 26-35
52
Ong W,
Lee A,
Tan WC.
et al.
Oncologic applications of artificial intelligence and deep learning methods in CT
spine imaging: a systematic review. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16 (17) 2988
53
Erdem F,
Gitto S,
Fusco S.
et al.
Automated detection of bone lesions using CT and MRI: a systematic review. Radiol
Med 2024; 129 (12) 1898-1905
54
Teodorescu B,
Gilberg L,
Melton PW.
et al.
A systematic review of deep learning-based spinal bone lesion detection in medical
images. Acta Radiol 2024; 65 (09) 1115-1125
55
Gitto S,
Bologna M,
Corino VDA.
et al.
Diffusion-weighted MRI radiomics of spine bone tumors: feature stability and machine
learning-based classification performance. Radiol Med 2022; 127 (05) 518-525
56
Chianca V,
Cuocolo R,
Gitto S.
et al.
Radiomic machine learning classifiers in spine bone tumors: a multi-software, multi-scanner
study. Eur J Radiol 2021; 137: 109586
57
Wang Q,
Zhang Y,
Zhang E.
et al.
Prediction of the early recurrence in spinal giant cell tumor of bone using radiomics
of preoperative CT: long-term outcome of 62 consecutive patients. J Bone Oncol 2021;
27: 100354
58
Gitto S,
Cuocolo R,
Huisman M.
et al.
CT and MRI radiomics of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas: an updated systematic review
of reproducibility and validation strategies. Insights Imaging 2024; 15 (01) 54
59
Gitto S,
Cuocolo R,
Albano D.
et al.
CT and MRI radiomics of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas: a systematic review of reproducibility
and validation strategies. Insights Imaging 2021; 12 (01) 68
60
Santinha J,
Pinto Dos Santos D,
Laqua F.
et al.
ESR essentials: Radiomics-practice recommendations by the European Society of Medical
Imaging Informatics. Eur Radiol 2025; 35 (03) 1122-1132
61
Fanciullo C,
Gitto S,
Carlicchi E,
Albano D,
Messina C,
Sconfienza LM.
Radiomics of musculoskeletal sarcomas: a narrative review. J Imaging 2022; 8 (02)
45
62
Molinari V,
Gitto S,
Serpi F.
et al.
Radiomics for bone tumour diagnosis and management. Clin Radiol 2025; 91: 107062
63
Zheng J,
Liu W,
Chen J.
et al.
Differential diagnostic value of radiomics models in benign versus malignant vertebral
compression fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Radiol 2024; 178:
111621
64
Sanker V,
Gowda P,
Thaller A.
et al.
Applications and performance of artificial intelligence in spinal metastasis imaging:
a systematic review. J Clin Med 2025; 14 (16) 5877
65
Bittar M,
Deodhar A.
Axial spondyloarthritis: a review. JAMA 2025; 333 (05) 408-420
66
Moon J,
Jadhav P,
Choi S.
Deep learning analysis for rheumatologic imaging: current trends, future directions,
and the role of human. J Rheum Dis 2025; 32 (02) 73-88
67
Bilgin E.
Current application, possibilities, and challenges of artificial intelligence in the
management of rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.
Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2025; 17: 1759720-X251343579
68
Lin Y,
Chan SCW,
Chung HY,
Lee KH,
Cao P.
A deep neural network for MRI spinal inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis. Eur
Spine J 2024; 33 (11) 4125-4134
69
Chen YJ,
Chen DY,
Lan HC.
et al.
An optimal deep learning model for the scoring of radiographic damage in patients
with ankylosing spondylitis. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2024; 16: 1759720-X241285973
70
Koo BS,
Lee JJ,
Jung JW.
et al.
A pilot study on deep learning-based grading of corners of vertebral bodies for assessment
of radiographic progression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Ther Adv Musculoskelet
Dis 2022; 14: 1759720-X221114097
71
Albano D,
Monti CB,
Blanda G.
et al.
MRI–based scoring system to predict spondylodiscitis: the SPONDY-Score. Eur J Radiol
2026; 195: 112600
72
Salaffi F,
Ceccarelli L,
Carotti M.
et al.
Differentiation between infectious spondylodiscitis versus inflammatory or degenerative
spinal changes: how can magnetic resonance imaging help the clinician?. Radiol Med
2021; 126 (06) 843-859
73
Mukaihata T,
Maki S,
Eguchi Y.
et al.
Differentiating magnetic resonance images of pyogenic spondylitis and spinal Modic
change using a convolutional neural network. Spine 2023; 48 (04) 288-294
74
Qin C,
Dai LP,
Zhang YL.
et al.
The value of MRI radiomics in distinguishing different types of spinal infections.
Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2025; 264: 108719
75
Westerhoff M,
Gyftopoulos S,
Dane B.
et al.
Deep learning-based opportunistic CT osteoporosis screening and the establishment
of normative values. Radiology 2025; 317 (02) e250917
76
Zhang Z,
Hides JA,
De Martino E,
Millner JR,
Tuxworth G.
Multicenter validation of automated segmentation and composition analysis of lumbar
paraspinal muscles using multisequence MRI. Radiol Artif Intell 2025; 7 (05) e240833
77
Paderno A,
Ataide Gomes EJ,
Gilberg L.
et al.
Artificial intelligence-enhanced opportunistic screening of osteoporosis in CT scan:
a scoping review. Osteoporos Int 2024; 35 (10) 1681-1692
78
Klontzas ME,
Groot Lipman KBW,
Akinci D' Antonoli T.
et al.
ESR essentials: Common performance metrics in AI-practice recommendations by the European
Society of Medical Imaging Informatics. Eur Radiol 2026; 36 (02) 1528-1540
79
Park SH,
Han K,
Lee J-G.
Conceptual review of outcome metrics and measures used in clinical evaluation of artificial
intelligence in radiology. Radiol Med 2024; 129 (11) 1644-1655
80
van den Wittenboer GJ,
Nijholt IM,
Kvamme I,
van Lieshout C,
Maas M,
Boomsma MF.
Potential change in healthcare costs of implementing artificial intelligence for detecting
cervical spine fractures on CT: an early health technology assessment. Eur Radiol
2026 January 5 (Epub ahead of print)
Comments (0)