Moscow Launches First AI Service for Detecting Vertebral Displacement

Moscow doctors now have access to a cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) service designed to detect and assess vertebral displacement on X-ray scans, marking a significant step forward in the development of AI-driven healthcare technologies. In total, neural networks in radiological diagnostics are capable of identifying signs of 38 different pathologies, according to Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
“Vertebral displacement is a potential cause of back and lower back pain, which can significantly diminish the quality of life for Moscow citizens. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential to prevent complications and ensure appropriate treatment. The new AI-based service we’ve implemented helps doctors identify misalignments in spinal radiographs by automatically performing the necessary measurements. This not only accelerates the diagnostic process but also enables earlier treatment. Currently, over 50 AI services are available to radiologists in the capital, detecting signs of 38 different diseases. The integration of such technologies enhances diagnostic accuracy and allows physicians to focus on more complex and unique clinical cases, thereby providing patients with the highest quality of care,” said Rakova.
Vertebral displacement occurs when vertebrae shift from their normal position, often leading to back pain. Causes include trauma, degenerative changes, or conditions such as osteoporosis. Accurate diagnosis is critical for prescribing appropriate treatment, and AI services are proving invaluable in this regard. Neural networks can rapidly analyze spinal radiographs, detect misalignments, and take precise measurements, thereby aiding doctors in making quicker and more accurate diagnoses. This efficiency shortens the time required to finalize a diagnosis and accelerates the start of treatment.
To date, over 12 million studies have been processed using AI technologies. These neural networks assist in identifying various pathologies from mammograms, CT, MRI, and X-ray images, including conditions such as lung cancer, pneumonia, osteoporosis, aortic aneurysms, ischemic heart disease, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, hydrothorax, and more. The diagnostic accuracy of AI services is comparable to that of a physician’s examination.
“The quality of these algorithms is closely monitored by experts at our Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine the Moscow Healthcare Department. Only those services that pass rigorous testing are approved for use with real clinical data. Once deployed, we continuously monitor their technological and clinical performance, assessing the accuracy of the algorithms and comparing the service’s conclusions with those of the doctors. This feedback is provided to developers, who then refine and improve their models to ensure the reliable operation of neural networks,” explained Yury Vasiliev,Senior Consultat for Radiology of the Moscow Healthcare Department and CEO of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.
AI services have been operational since 2020 as part of an initiative to integrate computer vision technologies into medicine. This project is being led by the Moscow Social Development Complex, in collaboration with the Moscow Department of Information Technologies, and is based at the Diagnostics and Telemedicine Centre of the Moscow Healthcare Department.
The use of digital technologies and AI to improve the quality of life for city residents aligns with the goals of the national program, “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation,” and Moscow’s regional project, “Digital Public Administration.” Further information on these and other national projects being implemented in Moscow is available on this page.