17:11, 21 January 2026

AI in Moscow Spots Early Signs of Osteoporosis on X-Ray Scans

The approach makes it possible to prevent problems early, rather than dealing with their consequences.

In Moscow, an artificial intelligence–based service has begun automatically detecting osteoporosis at an early stage – a disease marked by reduced bone density. The system identifies signs of the condition on CT scans even before symptoms appear, including cases where imaging was performed for other clinical reasons. The Moscow Mayor’s Office and city government press service told IT-Russia about the rollout.

Patients May Not Even Know There Is a Problem

“We are consistently introducing artificial intelligence technologies into everyday medical practice, including the analysis of X-ray images taken for a wide range of clinical indications. This additional pathology screening approach makes it possible to prevent problems early, instead of dealing with their consequences. Recently, we introduced automated osteoporosis screening on CT scans,” said Anastasia Rakova, Moscow’s deputy mayor for social development.

The screening detects the disease at an early, asymptomatic stage, when patients may not yet suspect any health issues. As a result, there is no need for a separate examination, which reduces radiation exposure. Treatment can begin sooner, significantly lowering the risk of severe fractures.

The service automatically analyzes CT scans and independently identifies signs of osteoporosis. The neural network highlights potentially problematic areas of bone tissue in red or orange.

Even Elusive Osteoporosis Does Not Escape AI

“Osteoporosis is a metabolic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and disruption of bone microarchitecture. Its danger lies in the fact that it often goes unnoticed until serious complications or injuries occur. These services work with already completed studies and help ensure that important changes in bone tissue are not missed. On medical images, the neural network highlights abnormal areas in color, performs the necessary measurements, and generates a textual description. Comprehensive AI services can simultaneously detect up to 14 pathologies within a single examination. This approach allows Moscow residents undergoing scans for various clinical reasons to gain additional protection against one of the most subtle and dangerous age-related diseases,” said Yuri Vasilyev, chief physician of the Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.

Officials stress that the final diagnosis is always made by a medical specialist.

The Moscow city government also noted that doctors in the capital now have access to more than 60 AI services capable of detecting signs of disease across 43 clinical areas. In addition, a single medical image can be used to identify indicators of several different conditions at once.

Earlier, IT-Russia reported that a cardiac center in Surgut began using the Elektron X-ray system equipped with artificial intelligence. The algorithm analyzes images in seconds, acting as an assistant to radiologists.

Medicine and healthcare