Pediatric Elbow

Purpose	To assist radiologists in the interpretation of pediatric elbow radiographs
Tag(s)
Panel	Musculoskeletal
Define-AI ID	18050008
Originator	Jay Patti
Panel Chair	Jay Patti
Panel Reviewers	Musculoskeletal Panel
License	Creative Commons 4.0
Status	Published

Clinical Implementation

Value Proposition

When interpreting pediatric elbow radiographs, the appearance of the osseous structures can vary significantly based on the patient’s age. Normal development dictates an ordered mineralization of the apophyses of the elbow, which depends on patient age. Fractures of the elbow bones can mimic normal apophyses. Knowing the order of expected mineralization and age of the patient can help prevent diagnostic error. An AI algorithm could refine the currently known expected age of mineralization and warn radiologists when pathology mimics a normal developmental appearance in the setting of a discordant patient age. The classic mnemonic device that is used to remember the order of ossification is CRITOE, which stands for Capitellum, Radial head, Internal epicondyle, Trochlea, Olecranon, External epicondyle. In normal development, these apophyses ossify at roughly ages 2, 4, 5, 9, and 11, respectively.

Narrative(s)

A pediatric (<15 years old) patient presents for elbow radiography after trauma. There is a fracture of the lateral humeral epiphyseal apophysis that mimics normal development in a patient 3 years older than the patient’s true age. This could present a diagnostic challenge or potential area for diagnostic oversight resulting in medical error.

Workflow Description

The radiograph is processed by the algorithm, which is tuned to identify the elbow apophyses and correlate them with patient age. The engine would send a message to PACS with the coordinates of each normal apophysis, which are then highlighted with a subtle green tint. Any apophyses that are inconsistent with the patient’s age are highlighted in yellow, which alerts the radiologist to examine these suspicious areas more closely.

Considerations for Dataset Development

Procedures(s): X-ray, Elbow

View(s): {AP, Lateral, Oblique}

 

Sex at Birth: {Male, Female}

 

Age (years): [0,15]

 

Data source: {pediatric facilities, general facilities}

 

Differential Diagnoses: Apophysis injury

 

Elbow: {Left, Right}

 

Fractures: supracondylar fractures

 

Other: {Casting, bracing material}

Technical Specifications

Inputs

DICOM Study

Procedure	XRAY, Elbow
Views	AP, Lateral, Oblique
Data Type	DICOM
Modality	XRAY
Body Region	Upper Extremity
Anatomic Focus	Elbow

Primary Outputs

Abnormal Apophyses

RadElement ID	RDED246
Definition	Detect and count abnormal apophyses
Data Type	Numeric
Value Set	[0,6]
Units	Apophyses

Secondary Outputs

Age

RadElement ID	RDE247
Definition	Patient age in years
Data Type	Numeric
Value Set
Units	Years

Future Development Ideas

Segment capitellum, radial head, internal epicondyle, trochlea, olecranon, and external epicondyle as well as highlight the abnormal apophyses.

Related Datasets

No known related public datasets at this time,  please us alert us if you know of any.