Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42101555›Full record

ReviewSpine deformity2026

Digital twins and multimodal artificial intelligence in spine care: a scoping review of concepts, evidence, and translational barriers.

Samer G Salman, Rohan Phadke, Rahul Kumar, Nasif Zaman, Alireza Tavakkoli

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Spine deformity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Samer G SalmanSchool of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. samer.salman@bcm.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-9897-4071
Rohan PhadkeSchool of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Rahul KumarT.H. Chan School of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Nasif ZamanSmith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Alireza TavakkoliDepartment of Computer Science, Human-Machine Perception Laboratory, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis scoping review examines current evidence supporting multimodal artificial intelligence, continuous monitoring, and digital twin concepts in spine care. Our primary aims were to (1) characterize the state of digital twin development in spine care, (2) identify key technological and conceptual gaps, and (3) evaluate translational barriers to clinical implementation.

methodsA scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 2010 and March 2025. Findings were synthesized qualitatively.

resultsTwenty-six studies met inclusion criteria. Existing spine prediction models demonstrate modest discrimination and are predominantly static. Imaging-based AI shows weak associations with pain and disability. Wearable sensor monitoring is feasible but lacks consistent evidence for improved outcomes. Spine-specific digital twins remain conceptual, with no prospective validation demonstrating improved decision-making.

conclusionMultimodal AI-enabled digital twins represent a compelling conceptual framework for personalized spine care, but current evidence does not support clinical superiority or readiness for implementation. Progress will require prospective validation, standardized data integration, and regulatory clarity.

Indexed as

Artificial intelligenceContinuous monitoringDigital twinsMultimodal data integrationRisk predictionSpine surgery

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.