10076716Osteodent-AI: A Revolutionary Approach to Osteoporosis DetectionClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKOsteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to fracture. It develops slowly over several years, or even decades, without symptoms and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone fracture. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 years will experience osteoporotic fractures. In the UK alone, more than 500,000 people per year receive hospital treatment for osteoporosis fractures, with 75% of sufferers unaware that they have the condition. Most osteoporosis related fractures are preventable. Early detection would provide opportunities for simple, effective measures (e.g. hormone treatment, medicines, moderate weight-bearing exercise) to greatly lower the risk of fractures occurring. However, due to the lack of screening, most individuals are simply diagnosed too late. Dentists use x-rays routinely to diagnose conditions such as tooth decay and jaw-bone loss, but these radiographs contain a wealth of additional information on a patient's general health which cannot be easily detected by a human clinician specialist maxillofacial radiologists. This project, led by Manchester Imaging Limited, will demonstrate use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) digital healthcare solution to analyse these x-ray images for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. This ground-breaking AI dental technology will move osteoporosis identification from post-fracture to pre-fracture, and allow much more effective treatment of this condition. This will significantly improve patient outcomes and quality-of-life, and save the NHS hundreds of millions each year.