Artificial Intelligence Applications in Degenerative Musculoskeletal Diseases

Degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, particularly knee osteoarthritis and lumbar spine degeneration, are increasingly prevalent and contribute substantially to global disability and health care costs. Rising imaging volumes have prompted interest in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and consistency in imaging assessment. For knee osteoarthritis, AI models applied to radiographs and MR imaging demonstrate performance comparable to expert radiologists, though early disease classification remains challenging. In lumbar spine MR imaging, AI shows promise for automating grading and segmentation but is limited by heterogeneous methods. Future progress depends on standardized frameworks, diverse datasets, external validation, and integration of imaging with meaningful outcomes.