Photo/Illutration An ultrasound image, left, shows the capitulum humeri from a healthy individual pinpointed with artificial intelligence technology. The photo at right shows signs of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). (Provided by a research team from the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine)

A newly developed system using artificial intelligence technology more accurately detects early signs of elbow injuries among baseball pitchers caused by overthrowing and other wear and tear, researchers said.

Created by the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and the University of Hyogo, the system pinpoints abnormalities based on patients’ ultrasound images.

The invention is expected to contribute to a much more accurate diagnosis of elbow conditions in earlier phases, even among children.

Common elbow problems among pitchers include ligaments pulled to the extent that bones are damaged, as well as skeletal components rubbing against each other and fatigue fractures.

A damaged medial collateral ligament forced Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani to undergo Tommy John surgery and avoid the pitching mound this season.

The system is designed particularly to identify osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), an early-stage symptom that stems from bones colliding on the outside of the elbow, resulting in cartilage necrosis.

The joint research and development initiative started in 2020.

The Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine side consisted of graduate school researchers from the locomotor function reconstruction surgery lab headed by professor Kenji Takahashi.

The University of Hyogo’s scientists were from the Advanced Medical Engineering Research Institute, headed by Shoji Kobashi.

OCD is often discovered in children from the fourth grade of elementary school to the first year of junior high school since their bone structures have not yet fully developed.

Early-stage OCD is difficult to uncover because the children rarely complain about pain or other problems. In many cases, it is too late to have corrective surgery when abnormalities were noticed.

Ultrasound elbow scanning shows 1 to 3 percent of baseball-playing children up to high school age suffer from OCD, according to the research team.

One problem is that such nationwide examinations are not carried out frequently. There is also a lack of specialists with the proper skills to analyze the ultrasound images.

The team pinpointed and photographed the external bone tip on the elbow known as capitulum humeri.

Finished photos were then compared with ultrasound images from 196 children, consisting of 104 healthy individuals and 92 with elbow injuries from baseball, previously entered into the system.

The results showed the method detected OCD with a 97-percent accuracy.

The scientists are seeking cooperation with private businesses to commercialize their program. They plan to eventually use the early detection system to cover not only OCD but also all other kinds of baseball elbow issues.

“It may become possible at some point for people to check their elbow conditions by themselves as easily as they measure blood pressure,” said Kenta Takatsuji, 36, a researcher at the graduate school of the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, who is a member of the research team.

Yoshikazu Kida, 46, a lecturer at the university’s graduate school who headed the team, said he played baseball during his early days.

He said he decided to become a doctor after he was plagued by baseball elbow problems at junior and senior high that required surgery.

“I want development of the method to lead to the earlier detection of injuries, freeing as many children as possible from pain,” Kida said. “My hope is that they will be able to enjoy baseball with all their might.”

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