“Hey Google tell me a joke” or “Alexa, how to cut a pineapple? are just one of many examples of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes our lives easier…and more. Though AI is not new – the term was first coined by an American scientist in preparation of the now famous Dartmouth conference in 1956,  it is now becoming ubiquitous. 
And we have had the same fears since then. Will machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) surpass human intelligence? Will robots replace workers? Will AI lead to bad decisions?
In the operating room, bad decisions due to an error in the algorithms can be fatal. Though these fears may be valid, recent developments in healthcare have proven that AI will not replace orthopedic surgeons’ skills but supplement them. Let’s discuss how.

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How AI is benefiting preoperative planning in knee surgery

Preoperative planning is an important stage before a surgical intervention. Based on image-analysis and the patient’s medical records, orthopedic surgeons may decide if the patient needs a total knee replacement or not. However, amongst patients with knee osteoarthritis, not all will need a total knee replacement. Thanks to deep learning algorithms and artificial intelligence models, surgeons can more accurately decide the best treatment strategies, hence potentially avoid significant surgery. With more than 14 millions Americans living with knee osteoarthritis, it is worth the investment.

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How AI is helping surgeons in the operating room

Thanks to AI, surgeons can benefit from enhanced visualization and localization in surgery. It encourages minimally invasive surgery thus reducing surgical trauma and accelerating healing periods. This is a win-win strategy both for surgeons and patients.
Computer-aided intraoperative guidance also helps surgeons make more accurate and precise decisions. Using CT-scan images and data, smart robots such as the well-known mako-robots assist surgeons in deciding for some patients whether to preserve soft tissue or for others to save healthy bone. Accordingly, hip replacements with smart robotic assistance can be four times more accurate than conventional hip replacements, experts say.

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All in all, AI in the operating room has become a valuable ally to orthopedic surgeons. It improves surgeons’ decision-making and reduces surgery trauma. It also gives enthusiastic perspectives, helping orthopedic surgeons predict patient outcomes after their joint replacement surgery. When surgeons and robots join forces, the future of healthcare is exciting. Not surprisingly, AI in healthcare is expected to grow at an annualized 48% between 2017 and 2023.

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