New METASTRA Video Explains How AI and Biomechanics Can Improve Fracture Risk Assessment in Spinal Metastases
Each year, millions of people across Europe are diagnosed with cancer, and for many patients the disease progresses to metastatic stages that severely affect quality of life. When cancer spreads to the spine, weakened vertebrae can lead to painful and potentially life-changing fractures, posing major challenges for clinicians.
To address this issue, METASTRA has released a new animated explainer video introducing its approach to personalised fracture risk assessment for patients with spinal metastases. The video highlights the clinical challenges faced by oncologists and spine specialists, including the limitations of current, non-personalised assessment methods that can result in both overtreatment and missed fractures.
METASTRA brings together experts in spine surgery, biomechanics, computer science and artificial intelligence to develop advanced computational tools that combine AI-driven models with physiology-based biomechanical simulations. By integrating clinical data and medical imaging, these tools aim to predict how an individual patient’s spine responds to everyday loads, enabling more reliable and personalised clinical decision-making.
The project’s long-term objective is to reduce uncertainty in fracture risk assessment by 50%, supporting better treatment decisions, reducing unnecessary surgeries and improving outcomes for patients with metastatic disease. At a system level, METASTRA has the potential to significantly reduce overtreatment and associated healthcare costs across Europe.
The animated video is available below and provides an accessible overview of METASTRA’s goals, methods and expected impact.