Advances in the Use of Artificial Intelligence for the Diagnosis and Management of Hand Conditions

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 722

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: artificial intelligence; machine learning; hand conditions; preoperative diagnosis; postoperative prognosis; surgical outcomes; imaging techniques
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare has shown promising advancements, particularly in diagnosing and managing hand conditions. This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge applications of AI, including machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision, in preoperative diagnosis, surgical planning, and postoperative prognosis for hand-related pathologies. Key focus areas include AI’s role in detecting fractures, tendon injuries, nerve compressions, and conditions such as Dupuytren’s disease and arthritis. Additionally, this issue will address the use of AI to enhance imaging modalities, improve diagnostic accuracy, and predict surgical outcomes, complications, and rehabilitation trajectories. By bringing together original research, reviews, and case studies, this issue aims to highlight the potential of AI to revolutionise hand surgery and therapy while addressing challenges such as data variability, model validation, and clinical adoption.

Dr. Ishith Seth
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • artificial intelligence
  • machine learning
  • hand conditions
  • preoperative diagnosis
  • postoperative prognosis
  • surgical outcomes
  • imaging techniques

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 220 KiB  
Article
Management of Dupuytren’s Disease: A Multi-Centric Comparative Analysis Between Experienced Hand Surgeons Versus Artificial Intelligence
by Ishith Seth, Gianluca Marcaccini, Kaiyang Lim, Marco Castrechini, Roberto Cuomo, Sally Kiu-Huen Ng, Richard J. Ross and Warren M. Rozen
Diagnostics 2025, 15(5), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15050587 - 28 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 621
Abstract
Background: Dupuytren’s fibroproliferative disease affecting the hand’s palmar fascia leads to progressive finger contractures and functional limitations. Management of this condition relies heavily on the expertise of hand surgeons, who tailor interventions based on clinical assessment. With the growing interest in artificial [...] Read more.
Background: Dupuytren’s fibroproliferative disease affecting the hand’s palmar fascia leads to progressive finger contractures and functional limitations. Management of this condition relies heavily on the expertise of hand surgeons, who tailor interventions based on clinical assessment. With the growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) in medical decision-making, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of integrating AI into the clinical management of Dupuytren’s disease by comparing AI-generated recommendations with those of expert hand surgeons. Methods: This multicentric comparative study involved three experienced hand surgeons and five AI systems (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Copilot). Twenty-two standardized clinical prompts representing various Dupuytren’s disease scenarios were used to assess decision-making. Surgeons and AI systems provided management recommendations, which were analyzed for concordance, rationale, and predicted outcomes. Key metrics included union accuracy, surgeon agreement, precision, recall, and F1 scores. The study also evaluated AI performance in unanimous versus non-unanimous cases and inter-AI agreements. Results: Gemini and ChatGPT demonstrated the highest union accuracy (86.4% and 81.8%, respectively), while Copilot showed the lowest (40.9%). Surgeon agreement was highest for Gemini (45.5%) and ChatGPT (42.4%). AI systems performed better in unanimous cases (accuracy up to 92.0%) than in non-unanimous cases (accuracy as low as 35.0%). Inter-AI agreements ranged from 75.0% (ChatGPT-Gemini) to 48.0% (DeepSeek-Copilot). Precision, recall, and F1 scores were consistently higher for ChatGPT and Gemini than for other systems. Conclusions: AI systems, particularly Gemini and ChatGPT, show promise in aligning with expert surgical recommendations, especially in straightforward cases. However, significant variability exists, particularly in complex scenarios. AI should be viewed as complementary to clinical judgment, requiring further refinement and validation for integration into clinical practice. Full article
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