Artificial Intelligence-based Models for Spine Malalignment Auto-analysis

November 26, 2024 updated by: The University of Hong Kong

Artificial Intelligence-based Models Enabling Robust and Precise Spine Malalignment Auto-analysis in China: a Multicentre, Retrospective Cohort Study

This retrospective study aimed to enhance and validate a model for diagnosing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) across multiple medical centers. The study included 2,763 participants from prestigious hospitals in mainland China and Hong Kong. X-rays were used to develop and validate the model, with data from different hospitals to ensure robustness. Participants aged 10-18 with confirmed AIS were enrolled, and data were deidentified for privacy. The model was optimized using training data and validated internally before being deployed for real-world application. A novel data augmentation technique was used to address data heterogeneity, and a standardized analysis platform, AlignProCARE, was employed for evaluation. X-rays were annotated with vertebra landmarks, and traditional and intensity-based data augmentation methods were applied for image processing. Coronal Cobb angle was used to evaluate spinal alignment, with severity classified as normal-mild, moderate, or severe. The model's performance was statistically assessed for accuracy in predicting Cobb angle and severity grading. Overall, the study aimed to provide a reliable diagnostic tool for AIS analysis in clinical practice, improving efficiency and standardization in diagnosis and treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

This retrospective study involved collecting posteroanterior whole-spine X-rays from 2,763 individuals at 5 renowned hospitals in mainland China and 2 hospitals in Hong Kong over a period from January 1, 2012, to April 4, 2021. X-rays from Queen Mary Hospital and Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay in Hong Kong, known as the QMH&DKCH cohort, were specifically used for model development. Within this cohort, 86.5% (1686 out of 1950 patients) were randomly chosen as the training set for model development, while the remaining 13.5% (264 patients) formed the internal validation set to ensure the model's performance was independently tested. Additionally, data from five prominent hospitals in mainland China were compiled into external validation datasets to assess the model's efficacy. These hospitals included Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Nanfang Hospital, Jishuitan Hospital, Ruijin Hospital, and Huashan Hospital. All data were deidentified before being utilized for model development and validation. The study enrolled participants aged 10 to 18 years with confirmed presence or absence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Demographic information such as age, sex, and BMI was extracted from medical records. Exclusion criteria were applied to ensure the study's specificity, excluding individuals with other types of scoliosis, skin diseases that could impact imaging, those unable to stand, and cases where standing imaging was not feasible. The study design, illustrated in Figure 1, consisted of two main phases: model development and real-world application. The model was optimized and validated using the QMH&DKCH cohort data before being deployed on the AlignProCARE platform for clinical application across different centers. In the real-world application stage, five medical centers utilized the AlignProCARE software to upload and analyze patient X-ray images for diagnostic purposes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
3015

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Digital Health Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants aged between 10 and 18 years old,
  • A pathological confirmation of the presence or absence of AIS

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with other types of scoliosis, such as congenital or neuromuscular scoliosis
  • Patients with skin diseases, such as acne, psoriasis, skin pigmentation and rash that can affect imaging
  • Individuals that cannot stand up
  • Cases where standing imaging was not feasible or other conditions that could impair image acquisition.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
QMH&DKCH cohort
A total of 1,950 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays collected from two local hospitals (QMH and DKCH) were utilized for the development and internal validation of our model.
PUMCH cohort
314 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
NFH cohort
94 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays from Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, China
JSTH cohort
187 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays from Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China
RJH cohort
294 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays from Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
HSH cohort
176 whole spine posteroanterior X-rays from Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cobb Angle prediction accuracy
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Coronal Cobb angle was adopted as the standard measurement to evaluate the coronal alignment of each AIS patient. We evaluate the performance of our artificial intelligence model based on Cobb Angle prediction accuracy.
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
AIS severity classification accuracy
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Deformities with a CA exceeding 40° were deemed severe, those ranging from 20° to 40° were labelled as moderate, and angles from 0° to 20° were identified as normal to mild.
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The University of Hong Kong

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Huashan Hospital
Ruijin Hospital
Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
Beijing Jishuitan Hospital
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
The Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 5, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 5, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 5, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 20, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 26, 2024

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 2, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 26, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • UW 24-350

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings