Unmet Need: Osteoporosis is a condition in which there is too little bone in the skeleton. Those affected
have “brittle” bones, and are much more likely to suffer from fractures, most commonly in the spine, wrist
and hip. These lead to pain, deformity, loss of independence and early death. Half of all women and 1 in 5
men aged over 50 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis. The treatment of fractures could cost the UK
over £2 billion by 2020. Vertebral (spine) fractures are the most common fractures in osteoporosis and anyone
who has one is much more likely to have other fractures in future, so may need treatment. However, more than
half of vertebral fractures do not cause any pain so may not be noticed. Though they are visible on medical
images taken to investigate other conditions, they are often not reported and the chance to treat the fracture
and underlying osteoporosis is missed.
Technology: We will develop a fully automated computer system for identifying vertebral fractures in medical
images in which the spine is visible. It will be able to work with existing NHS systems to make it as easy as
possible to be set up in a hospital. The software will build upon our existing state-of-the-art prototype. We
will study how well the system works and how many patients it will help, and will gather patients’ views on how
it should be used and whether it is good value for money for the NHS.
Impact: The system will identify people with vertebral fractures who would otherwise have been missed. Treating
these people should ultimately reduce the number of future fractures, including potentially fatal hip fractures.
This could reduce the suffering of many people, and reduce the cost of management to the NHS.
