Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy for Knee Osteoarthritis Using a Deep Learning Approach

Abstract This research introduces a deep learning framework that combines convolutional neural networks with autoencoders to improve the diagnostic accuracy of knee osteoarthritis. The study utilized a publicly available dataset from the Mendeley Data repository, where knee joint images were preprocessed using Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization to enhance contrast and ensure consistent image sizing. Initially, an autoencoder was employed in an unsupervised manner to learn compressed representations of the data. These representations were then used to train a CNN to classify knee images into ‘healthy’ and ‘osteoarthritic’ categories. The model was trained using an 80:20 split for training and testing data, incorporating early stopping and data augmentation techniques to prevent overfitting and enhance generalization. Performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROCAUC) were used to evaluate the model, resulting in a high test accuracy of 98.95%. The high precision and recall rates further confirmed the model’s robustness in diagnosing KOA. To enhance interpretability, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) was applied to identify critical regions in the images that influenced the model’s decisions. Additionally, t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) was used to visualize the high-dimensional encoded features in a two-dimensional space, providing deeper insights into how the model differentiates between classes. The promising results of this deep learning approach suggest its potential for broader applications in medical imaging diagnostics. By providing healthcare professionals with a tool that enhances diagnostic accuracy and operational efficiency, this framework lays the foundation for developing scalable, AI-driven diagnostic systems for various complex medical conditions.