X-Ray and computerized tomography (CT) scan devices use electromagnetic radiation to produce images of internal tissue, bones, and tumors. Doctors use them to diagnose medical conditions. End users like hospitals, clinics, diagnostic imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers also use X-Ray and CT devices for various diagnostic purposes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leading the Market Growth

The market for spine X-Ray and CT devices is growing rapidly, owing to an increasing number of CT scans and X-Rays being used for imaging of vertebral fractures, spinal infections, and spinal tumors. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is further propelling the growth of the industry.

Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the most heavily discussed topics in healthcare because of its advanced technology that helps with every aspect of diagnosing and studying patients.

Some startups are looking to streamline the workflow to help doctors diagnose diseases quicker and more accurately by digitizing clinical images and modeling them mathematically through AI.

AI also assists in the dire shortage of radiologists by not compromising the quality of diagnosis. AI scales the efficiency of diagnosis and productivity of radiologists higher. Therefore, artificial intelligence is a proven savior for all radiologists and pathologists owing to its innovative analytics capabilities.

AI in medical imaging involves combining packets of megapixels to generate a high-resolution image. Its algorithms and analytics can easily see through the body's physiological state for analyzing complex data patterns.

AI for Spinal X-Ray: Spinal Disorders

AI effortlessly identifies bone fractures and matches the accuracy level of radiologists while compiling reports in no time.

In some cases, the use of AI in X-Rays has outperformed experts too. The recent findings state that it reduces the number of fractures missed by 29%, raising the efficiency level by 5%.

Spine X-Rays provides pictures of the spine. It detects the presence of bone fractures, damage to internal tissues, and other underlying disorders. Then, the AI algorithm reads the X-Rays.

It makes the interpretation of a variety of conditions easier. Also, spine X-Rays have lower modalities that make human eye interpretation difficult. Therefore, AI shoulders the responsibility of providing correct findings by asserting AI algorithms under preliminary metrics.

AI for CT Scans: Bone and Joint Disorders

CT scans provide a structured view of the bones and joints in the body. While it does produce crystal-clear images than X-Rays, it is costlier and exposes the patient to radiation doses.

Radiation in CT scans can cause damage to the DNA in human cells, potentially raising the risk for cancer. These scans expose a person to a lot more radiation than other imaging tests that don’t use ionizing radiation, such as X-Rays and mammograms.

Therefore, to battle the risk of radiation and get clear images within the budget, AI-based deep learning practices are the preferred choices.

Deep learning reconstruction (DLR) is attracting attention instead of iterative reconstruction (IR) that takes a long time to process and fails to eliminate any compromise on the dose, images, and budget.

DLR involves the reduction of pixel disturbances in images within low doses. It also generates accurate reports quickly and ensures patient satisfaction. DLR undertakes a post-processing approach to oversee modality, cost, dosage, and quality.

Market Drivers and Challenges

Since the outbreak COVID-19 pandemic, AI's contribution to medical imaging has drastically increased. Doctors are approaching AI-based assistance due to its fast, reliable, and efficient analytics algorithms for drawing health-related data.

The absence of human error and advancing healthcare technology certainly aid the usage of AI for medical imaging.

The global spine X-Ray and computed tomography market report highlights that the market was valued at $916.0 million in 2020 and is expected to reach $1,623.5 million by the end of 2030. The market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.91% during 2021-2030.

Population growth and aging have increased the incidence of spine surgeries and chronic pain, which is expected to drive the need for X-Ray/CT scans. Governments are also investing in healthcare insurance to keep prices under control and improve patients' quality of life.

Factors inhibiting the growth of the global spine X-Ray and computed tomography market include risks associated with radiation exposure and delay in regulatory approvals.

Delay in regulatory approvals for the products due to the stringent government regulations concerning the use of AI-enabled software in medical imaging might hinder the market's growth. Also, the high cost associated with medical imaging is another factor inhibiting the growth of the global spine X-Ray and computed tomography market.

Furthermore, growing demand from emerging regions such as Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa is expected to encourage significant adoption of such technologies and devices. Additionally, there is massive scope for spine X-Ray and CT devices in various developing countries worldwide, including China, India, Brazil, and Mexico, owing to the rapidly aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic spinal disorders.