Bonevoyage: Navigating the depths of osteoporosis detection with a dual-core ensemble of cascaded ShuffleNet and neural networks

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a condition that significantly decreases bone density and strength, often remaining undetected until the occurrence of a fracture. Timely identification of OP is essential for preventing fractures, reducing morbidity, and enhancing the quality of life. Objective: This study aims to improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of early-stage osteoporosis detection by integrating the compact architecture of Cascaded ShuffleNet with the pattern recognition prowess of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Methods: BoneVoyage leverages the efficiency of ShuffleNet and the analytical capabilities of ANNs to extract and analyze complex features from bone density scans. The framework was trained and validated on a comprehensive dataset containing thousands of bone density images, ensuring robustness across diverse cases. Results: This model achieving an accuracy of 97.2%, with high sensitivity and specificity. These results significantly surpass those of existing OP detection methods, highlighting the effectiveness of the BoneVoyage framework in identifying subtle changes in bone density indicative of early-stage osteoporosis. Conclusions: BoneVoyage represents a significant advancement in the early detection of osteoporosis, offering a reliable tool for healthcare providers to identify at-risk individuals prematurely. The early detection facilitated by BoneVoyage allows for the implementation of preventive measures and targeted treatments.