Artificial Intelligence in Trauma Surgery

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be found in every step of the patient pathway in trauma surgery. In most of the fields it is still experimental, whereas other applications have been spread and are used in daily practice. AI could help the surgeon predict osteoporotic fractures or sports trauma injuries. The most developed domain is radiology with algorithms to analyze X-rays and detect fractures, which are already used in emergency services. The place of AI in the operating room is still at the beginning stage and is most of the time related to robotic surgery. The prediction of results of severe trauma care, osteosynthesis, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have been widely studied and we could presume that clinical application will soon be available. In the future, we believe that AI will not replace the surgeon, nor the radiologist or the emergency practitioner. Instead, some time-consuming tasks might be done more efficiently, and some tasks might be done more accurately. It will improve diagnostic accuracy, realize some better predictions based on the patient’s personal information, and perform highly precise surgery. One thing is undeniable, deep learning is starting a revolution in trauma surgery and it is time to get on board!