Will 2025 Be a Breakout Year for Digital Bone Health?
In recent years, advances in digital health technologies are transforming the landscape of musculoskeletal care. From imaging innovations to AI-powered diagnostics, the field of bone health has seen steady, yet slower advancements. However, with increasing awareness of osteoporosis and fracture prevention, and emerging digital tools to manage this condition, 2025 could mark a turning point towards conditions for wider adoption and impact in digital bone health.
The Growing Burden of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis remains a major global health concern, affecting over 200 million people worldwide and contributing to approximately 6-8 million fragility fractures annually. In the United States alone, osteoporosis-related fractures cost the healthcare system more than $19 billion each year—a figure projected to rise as the population ages.
Despite these alarming statistics, osteoporosis is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Many individuals remain unaware of their risk until a fracture occurs. This treatment gap underscores the need for more accessible, accurate, and proactive diagnostic tools—a challenge digital technologies aim to address.
A Persistently Stagnant Landscape in Bone Health
Over the past 20 years, little progress has been made in increasing diagnosis and management of patients with low bone mass. The reliance on older technologies and methods has created a stagnant culture in bone health care. Traditional diagnostics, such as DXA scans, remain underutilized, and clinical practices have failed to evolve in line with modern technological advancements. This lack of innovation has left millions of patients undiagnosed and untreated, perpetuating a cycle of preventable fractures and poor outcomes.
However, new technologies are no longer concepts—they are arriving. Digital health tools and AI-driven diagnostics are poised to break through this stagnation, offering new pathways for early detection, monitoring, and treatment.
Advancements in Digital Bone Health Technologies
Integrating AI into fracture risk assessment within existing clinical workflows has the potential to revolutionize the management of osteoporosis by enabling opportunistic detection at the point of care. Despite the advancements in AI technologies for X-ray and CT scans now available in the US, the fee-for-service model and reimbursement challenges present significant barriers to their widespread adoption. While these technologies have been successfully integrated into workflows in markets outside the US, there is little incentive in the US healthcare system to prioritize their adoption.
Despite the potential benefits of these innovations—including enhanced diagnostic accuracy, improved patient outcomes, and more personalized treatment plans—their widespread adoption remains limited. Key barriers include a lack of standardized protocols, insufficient awareness among healthcare providers and allied medical professionals, regulatory complexities, and fragmented healthcare ecosystems.
To address these obstacles, it is essential to rethink the current status quo of osteoporosis screening and lack of clinical and financial incentives, focusing on where and how these new technologies can be most effectively utilized. Orthopedic surgeons, in particular, are in a prime position to impact the detection of undiagnosed osteoporosis patients, as millions pass through orthopedic clinics each year, routinely undergoing imaging capable of identifying those at risk. However, orthopedic surgeons have little to no incentive to drive adoption and integration of these new technologies into their workflows where they could have the most impact.
Unlocking Revenue Potential with AI Tools
While current reimbursement models present challenges, AI tools integrated into clinical workflows could unlock significant new revenue streams for healthcare providers. By enabling opportunistic screening during routine imaging procedures, these tools could increase the volume of diagnosed patients, driving higher utilization of follow-up diagnostic tests, therapies, and interventions. This approach has the potential to create a financially sustainable model while addressing an urgent clinical need. Providers who adopt these technologies early may not only improve patient outcomes but also position themselves competitively within a rapidly evolving healthcare market.
Additionally, with the anticipated rise in patient volume driven by AI-enabled detection, new approaches are emerging to automate the management of these increased volumes. Automated workflow tools are being designed to streamline operations, optimize care coordination, and capture revenue more efficiently. These tools not only reduce administrative burdens but also ensure that higher patient volumes can be managed without compromising care quality or financial performance.
The most recent Digital Bone Health Market Map™ reflects the companies and organizations accelerating convergence of this emerging market sector with multiple approaches addressing early detection and intervention.
The Potential Disruption of Bone Health
Beyond technology, new entities are emerging to redefine standards of care and expand educational initiatives around osteoporosis treatment. Organizations and startups focused on public education, clinician training, and patient advocacy are stepping in to address gaps in knowledge and treatment protocols. These efforts are expected to create greater awareness and adoption of preventive strategies.
Expanding Education: Digital platforms and online learning modules are being developed to train healthcare providers in the latest diagnostic techniques and personalized treatment approaches.
Standardization Initiatives: Despite technological advancements, a lack of clinical standards continues to hinder progress. Collaborations between medical societies, research institutions, and health-tech companies are working to establish standardized protocols for bone health assessment and fracture risk management.
Patient-Centered Models: Emerging companies are focusing on direct-to-consumer models, providing at-home testing kits, telehealth consultations, and personalized care plans to empower patients.
A Pivotal Year Ahead?
With growing investments in digital health and AI, 2025 could be the year these technologies gain wider acceptance. Major players in the industry are securing funding, forming partnerships, and achieving regulatory milestones that position them for rapid expansion.
Moreover, as value-based care models continue to gain traction, healthcare systems are incentivized to adopt preventive technologies that reduce costly fractures and improve patient outcomes. This trend aligns well with the capabilities of digital bone health platforms, which emphasize early detection and continuous monitoring.
Looking Forward The convergence of AI, imaging innovations, and advanced assessment technologies has set the stage for transformative advancements in bone health care. While challenges remain, the momentum building around digital bone health suggests that 2025 could indeed be a breakout year.
As these tools become more accessible and integrated into routine care, they have the potential to significantly reduce fracture rates, improve quality of life, and lower healthcare costs. The emergence of new players focused on education, standards, and patient engagement is further accelerating this transformation.
The next 12 months will be pivotal in determining whether this promise will be fully realized.
