National Taiwan University Yunlin Branch's AI bone density research has received international recognition, and bone porosis screening will be launched on a trial basis in Yunlin

Fu Shaohuai, an orthopedic surgeon at National Taiwan University Yunlin Branch, explained that osteoporosis is a systemic disease and early detection and intervention is important.

Osteoporosis is a "silent disease" and causes more disability and death than cancers such as colorectal cancer. However, because examination equipment is not widely available, many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they have fractures. The Yunlin branch team of National Taiwan University Hospital used clinical X-ray imaging data accumulated for 10 years, combined with AI technology, to determine the accuracy of bone porosis with an accuracy of 90%. The research results have not only been recognized internationally, but will also be piloted in several towns and villages in Yunlin next year to detect and treat bone porosis early.

Fu Shaohuai, an orthopedic surgeon at the Yunlin Branch of National Taiwan University, said that according to community care center screening, the prevalence rate of osteoporosis in the elderly is as high as 50 to 60%, but less than 2% can be treated. Fractures cause high disability and mortality. Early screening and interventional treatment are more important.

Fu Shaohuai said that currently, the diagnosis of osteoporosis is still based on the traditional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), but DXA is not widely used. Primary clinics in Yunlin, Chiayi, Nantou and eastern counties and cities with seriously aging populations are all closed. Therefore, the hospital team cooperated with Caifeng Zhihui to use the AI ​​software DeepXray Spina developed by the company to analyze X-ray images of the lumbar spine and pelvis, estimate bone density and determine osteoporosis. The results are very close to the DXA instrument, and can further predict the risk of subsequent fractures of the spine, hip and other parts.

Fu Shaohuai pointed out that in addition to being published in international journals in the field of osteoporosis, the research results were also selected as oral presentations at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases to be held in Prague, Czech Republic in 2026, and received international recognition.

Ma Huiming, dean of National Taiwan University's Yunlin Branch, said that more than half of the hospital's employees are women. The hospital will extend the research results to care for hospital employees and promote a female bone preservation program, starting with perimenopausal women aged 45 to 55, to understand bone health status early and provide health advice such as lifestyle and resistance training.

Fu Shaohuai also said that the hospital will cooperate with the Yunlin County Health Bureau to pilot it in Tuku, Douliu and Baozhong Health Centers next year (2027), using AI to diagnose bone loss and provide interventional treatment. The initial target will be women over 70 years old. He also suggested that in addition to dietary calcium supplements, people can also increase bone density through heavy training.