Machine learning using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be used to detect fractures in plain radiographs, according to a new study published in Clinical Radiology.

Imaging groups throughout the United States have moved to standardized radiology reports in recent years, and it’s a trend that continues to pick up steam. One side effect of this change is that leaders must then perform long, labor-intensive manual audits of their team’s reports to confirm compliance. But what if groups could somehow perform an automated audit, making those pesky manual audits a thing of the past?

Discussions about machine learning’s impact on radiology might begin with image interpretation, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to realizing the technology’s full potential, it’s like Bachman Turner Overdrive sang many years ago: You ain’t seen nothing yet.