Diagnostic accuracy of deep learning in prediction of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Osteoporosis is one of the most common metabolic diseases that is characterized by a decrease in bone density and a loss of the quality of the bone structure. The use of deep learning in the prediction of osteoporosis can provide a non-invasive, cost-effective, and efficient approach. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of deep learning in the prediction of osteoporosis.

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis study that was conducted on the diagnostic accuracy of deep learning algorithms for predicting osteoporosis. A literature search was performed in electronic databases including PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar to identify relevant articles until December 1, 2023. Articles were searched in databases by combining related terms such as “deep learning”, “convolutional neural network”, and “osteoporosis”. We conducted title, abstract, and full-text screening based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Various metrics, such as sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC), were used to assess the diagnostic performance of deep learning models.

Out of the 181 articles initially identified, 10 studies were included in the analysis. All studies used a convolutional neural network (CNN) as the deep learning model. Three studies investigated multiple deep learning models. Eight studies used various architectures of CNN, such as ResNet, VGG, and EfficientNet. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 (95% CI, 0.82–0.89) and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85–0.91), respectively. The bivariate approach’s pooled SROC curve produced an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.91–0.95). The Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) for the deep learning models was 49.09 (95% CI, 28.74–83.84). Deeks’ funnel plot asymmetry test (P = 0.4) suggested no potential publication bias.

Deep learning has an acceptable performance for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, even better than other ML algorithms. However, further research is needed to validate the findings of this study in clinical trials.