Here, researchers investigated whether a convolutional neural network model trained on lateral cervical spine radiographs can aid in assessing fusion following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Following ACDF, they evaluated 187 patients with computed tomography (CT) scans, lateral cervical spine radiographs (both static and motion), and a year’s worth of follow-up. Cervical spine x-rays were used to train a convolutional neural network-based DL model. The final diagnosis of fusion (fusion ≥ 2) or nonunion (fusion ≤ 1) for a patient was reached by weighing the results of all 3 radiographs. The ultimate diagnosis for a patient was either fusion (fusion 2) or nonunion (nonunion ≤ 1) based on the results of all 3 radiographs.

Source: CNN November 24, 2022 00:02 UTC