Artificial Intelligence in Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Artificial intelligence in sports medicine is a topic that is in its formative years. Artificial intelligence as a technology works, and there is opportunity for this technology to significantly augment the physician-patient relationship and physician practice management. This chapter begins with the fundamentals of how artificial intelligence works. Next, the chapter details four reasons why artificial intelligence in sports medicine has become possible in the last decade: (1) big accurate (labeled) data sets: (2) powerful computers; (3) open-source software development (algorithm); and (4) cloud-based computing. Next the chapter details four reasons why artificial intelligence is limited in clinical practice, specifically in the realm of clinical decision-making. First, the ability to gather clinically meaningful data from currently available databases and electronic medical records is difficult. Second, studies which have been produced do not clearly define the methods including algorithm development and critical dataset details making replication of these studies difficult. Because of these first two challenges, the development of meaningful clinical decision support models has not moved beyond the proof-of-concept stages. Third, artificial intelligence-based models applied to clinical care are considered medical devices and regulation falls under the Federal Drug Administration which adds a layer of complexity when attempting to commercialize artificial intelligence models. Finally, concerns surrounding cybersecurity and protecting patient information continue to be a limiting factor in adoption of widespread use of artificial intelligence in sports medicine. Regardless, artificial intelligence is likely to experience exponential growth and interest in the next decade as the above challenges are addressed. Finally, some representative examples of artificial intelligence in sports medicine are discussed and a summary table of sports medicine studies is provided.