A paper lands in your inbox. The headline: a deep learning algorithm achieves 94% accuracy in fracture detection, outperforming both radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons. A colleague forwards it with a one-line message: “thoughts?” Whether your reaction is excitement, scepticism, or indifference, the answer depends on understanding what kind of system this actually is. Because “AI … Read more
Degenerative cervical myelopathy is the most common cause of non-traumatic spinal cord injury in adults and one of the most consequential diagnoses to miss. The pathology is progressive, the window for intervention matters, and the early signs on MRI — subtle cord signal change, mild compression at a single level — are exactly the kind … Read more
A patient presents to the emergency department with a spreading soft tissue infection and fever. The orthopaedic team is asked to review. Inflammatory markers are elevated, the limb is swollen and tender, and the clinical picture is consistent with serious deep infection — but the critical question is not yet answered: is this necrotizing fasciitis, … Read more
When a fracture is missed on an AI-assisted radiograph review, who is responsible? The answer, under current UK law and NHS governance frameworks, is clear: the clinician. But the question is worth dwelling on — not because the answer will change soon, but because the implications of that answer are not yet embedded in how … Read more
A patient sits in front of you for a hip replacement consultation. You’ve reviewed the X-rays, taken a history, and confirmed the indication. Before you write in the notes, an algorithm has already estimated their 90-day complication risk, flagged potential issues with bone stock, and generated a templating plan from their pre-operative imaging. These tools … Read more
You are preparing for your ST6 interview. The question about AI is coming — it comes up in almost every panel now. The problem is not that trainees don’t know anything about AI. It’s that most are not sure which parts of what they know actually matter. This post is the answer to that question. … Read more
The first time I scrubbed to a robotic arthroplasty list, I made the same assumption most trainees make. I assumed the technology would do something recognisable — that I would watch it operate, and learn from watching. What I actually learned is that robotic surgery doesn’t work that way, and understanding why changes how useful … Read more
You are three months into a new post when the department takes delivery of a robotic system. There are two types of trainee in that room. One assumes it will make arthroplasty easier. The other wonders what it means for learning to operate. Both need the same thing: a clear account of what these systems … Read more
The ED doctor is confident. The AI has cleared the radiograph. The patient has a tender anatomical snuffbox and a mechanism consistent with a scaphoid injury. The question you are answering — at 3am, on the phone — is whether you trust the algorithm. This is not a hypothetical. AI-based fracture detection tools are deployed … Read more