Osteoarthritis is a common condition, affecting a staggering 10 million people across the UK. It can lead to joint pain and poor mobility — and our risk of developing it increases as we age. Treatment for osteoarthritis tends to focus on managing the symptoms as they progress, and eventually joint replacement surgery.

But what if we could use artificial intelligent (AI) to detect osteoarthritis earlier and understand how it develops?

This would allow us to lead better clinical trials, develop trailblazing treatments, and hopefully stop osteoarthritis in its tracks. This is exactly what we hope to achieve with our latest research fellowship together with Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK).

AI refers to the use of computer systems, which can perform complex tasks that historically only a human could do.

What is osteoarthritis?

Our joints are made of complex living tissue that our bodies constantly repair and maintain. Osteoarthritis occurs when our bodies can no longer do this effectively.

The cartilage becomes thin, and the joint cannot move as easily as before, causing pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling as the body attempts to repair the joint. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but it most commonly affects your knees, hips and hands.

Improving osteoarthritis detection, understanding and care

We’ve partnered with Orthopaedic Research UK to support the training of health care professionals in the use of artificial intelligence within orthopaedics.

Now, together with Orthopaedic Research UK, we’ve awarded a two-year fellowship to Simone Castagno, from the University of Cambridge, to develop a new approach to osteoarthritis.

He wants to use AI to find patterns in a wide range of data from people living with osteoarthritis. He will use these patterns to develop a groundbreaking tool, which can predict osteoarthritis in the knee. It will also help us better understand how the condition may progress.

To do this, he’ll look at data, such as:

• Clinical information.
• Scans.
• Biochemical tests, which measure substances (like proteins and sugars) in the blood.
• Genetic information.
• Physical activity (using data from wearable devices like smartwatches).

In the future, he hopes to develop the tool and look at patients who have osteoarthritis in other joints. Ultimately, the tool will help healthcare professionals and patients make more informed decisions about their care.

“I am passionate about enhancing the quality of life for those affected by osteoarthritis and I hope that my work will extend to broader musculoskeletal and chronic degenerative conditions, paving the way for more personalised healthcare solutions," says Dr Simone Castagno, Recipient of the AI in MSK Research Fellowship.

Why does this research matter?

As part of our Research Strategy, we want to spot the signs of osteoarthritis early before it becomes severe – and we believe artificial intelligence can help.

Spotting osteoarthritis early will offer us a precious window of opportunity. It would allow healthcare professionals to suggest timely treatments and lifestyle changes, which could reduce the impact of someone’s condition.

We know that everyone is different and what treatment works for one person might not suit another. So, the researchers also want to explore how we can tailor treatments to certain groups.

On top of this, the researchers are also analysing data from wearable devices, such as smartwatches, to look at exercise patterns. This will shed light on how exercise or weight may influence osteoarthritis. And, in time, this will help healthcare teams provide tailored advice on helpful activities for people living with osteoarthritis.

“Measuring the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions is challenging for many reasons,” says Caroline Aylott, Head of Research Delivery at Versus Arthritis.

“We need better measures in place to make sure people with musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis get an earlier diagnosis, that a more personalised approach to treatment is embraced by healthcare systems, and that targeted research into musculoskeletal conditions is adequately funded so we have better treatments and drugs to support people in the future”.

Our incredible researchers want to use technology and patient experiences to improve osteoarthritis detection, understanding and care. By putting patients' wellbeing at the heart of our efforts, our researchers hope to pave the way for improved treatments, promoting better quality of life for millions.

How are the researchers working closely with people with arthritis?

Patients’ voices are at the heart of this research. By working shoulder to shoulder with people living with osteoarthritis and the public, Simone and his team have shown the urgent need for tools that can help diagnose and manage osteoarthritis.

It’s also shown just how important it is to get people like you involved in the early stages of research, especially when creating tools for you to use. This not only helps people better understand our research, but it also gives researchers valuable feedback and insights too.