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through theArtificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed tens of thousands of X-ray images of the body and compared them with genetic sequences. The genes that shape our skeleton, from shoulder width to leg length, have thus been identified. The result, which earned the cover in the magazine Science, sheds new light on what sets us apart from other primates and also opens up a future where doctors can predict ailments like back pain and arthritis. The study was conducted by the University of Texas ad Austin and the Center for the Genome of New York.
“Our research is a powerful demonstration of the impact ofAI in medicine“, he comments Vagheesh Narasimhan of the University of Texas, co-author of the study led by Eucharist Kun, of the same university. “Particularly when it comes to analyzing and quantifying image data and integrating this information rapidly and at scale with medical records and genetics“. The researchers used an algorithm based onAI to automatically measure, starting from 39,000 diagnostic images, the distances between shoulders, knees, ankles and other points on the body. By comparing these measurements to each person’s genetic sequence, they identified 145 spots within the Dna that control proportions in the human skeleton.
The team then examined how these data are mapped to principals musculoskeletal disordersFor example, individuals who have a wider pelvis in relation to their height are more likely to develop osteoarthritis and hip pain. Similarly, people with long hips in relation to their total height are more likely to develop arthritis or knee pain, while those with a longer torso are more prone to backache.
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