Automated Measurements of Long Leg Radiographs in Pediatric Patients: A Pilot Study to Evaluate an Artificial Intelligence-Based Algorithm

Abstract

Background: Assessment of long leg radiographs (LLRs) in pediatric orthopedic patients is an important but time-consuming routine task for clinicians. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of artificial intelligence (AI)-based leg angle measurement assistant software (LAMA) in measuring LLRs in pediatric patients, compared to traditional manual measurements. Methods: Eligible patients, aged 11 to 18 years old, referred for LLR between January and March 2022 were included. The study comprised 29 patients (58 legs, 377 measurements). The femur length, tibia length, full leg length (FLL), leg length discrepancy (LLD), hip–knee–ankle angle (HKA), mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), and mechanical medial proximal tibial angle (mMPTA) were measured automatically using LAMA and compared to manual measurements of a senior pediatric orthopedic surgeon and an advanced practitioner in radiography. Results: Correct landmark placement with AI was achieved in 76% of the cases for LLD measurements, 88% for FLL and femur length, 91% for mLDFA, 97% for HKA, 98% for mMPTA, and 100% for tibia length. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated moderate to excellent agreement between AI and manual measurements, ranging from 0.73 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54 to 0.84) to 1.00 (95%CI: 1.00 to 1.00). Conclusion: In cases of correct landmark placement, AI-based algorithm measurements on LLRs of pediatric patients showed high agreement with manual measurements.

Keywords

• artificial intelligence
• leg angle measurement assistant
• LAMA
• long leg radiographs
• pediatric
• orthopedics