MAI-MRI™
Integrated AI for early knee osteoarthritis intelligence.
MAI-MRI™ is a strategic innovation programme led by MSK Doctors, designed to integrate structural MRI interpretation with real-world motion biomarkers to transform the early diagnosis and management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
The programme was formally developed and submitted through the NIHR i4i funding pathway, and continues to advance within our long-term innovation roadmap.
The Clinical Problem
MRI tells us how the knee looks — not how it behaves in motion.
365m
People affected by knee osteoarthritis globally
5m+
Individuals in the UK alone
A Major Driver Of
Current diagnostic pathways rely heavily on
- X-ray imaging, which detects only late structural change
- Clinical examination
- Subjective symptom reporting
MRI remains the gold standard for structural assessment — but it is
- Expensive
- Resource-intensive
- Limited in availability
- Static in nature
- Lacking functional context
MAI-MRI™ was conceived to bridge this gap.
The Innovation
Imaging and movement, in one clinically interpretable framework.
Rather than treating imaging and movement as separate domains, MAI-MRI™ connects them into a single, clinically interpretable framework.
Automated AI-based MRI biomarker extraction
Markerless 3D motion analysis via MAI Motion
Multimodal correlation of structural and functional data
Explainable decision-support outputs
Creating a Unified System Capable Of
Identifying early cartilage degeneration
Looking for change before it becomes visible as late structural damage.
Detecting biomechanical imbalance
Reading how the joint behaves under real movement, not only how it looks at rest.
Stratifying disease progression risk
Separating those likely to progress from those who are stable.
Supporting personalised management pathways
Informing decisions that are matched to the individual joint.
A foundational step
toward four shifts.
- Motion-informed orthopaedics
- AI-powered diagnostic stratification
- Regenerative, preventative MSK care
- Multimodal digital medical devices
Strengthening MSK Doctors’ Position at the Intersection Of
Clinical expertise
AI engineering
Biomechanics
Imaging science
Regenerative philosophy
and informs future developments across the entire MAI ecosystem.
Continuing Development
Technical foundations.
Advanced MRI segmentation models
Including nnAtrousU-Net and nnAtrousTransFormer.
Validated on the OAI dataset
Performance validated using the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) dataset.
State-of-the-art knee segmentation accuracy
Dice score of approximately 93.7%.
The proprietary CRAFT motion analysis framework
MSK Doctors’ own framework for structured movement analysis.
UKCA-registered MAI Motion platform infrastructure
Building on the registered platform already in clinical use.
The ambition is to progress from prototype (TRL4) toward a clinically validated solution (TRL7).
Why This Matters for the NHS
Aligned with national diagnostic priorities.
- NHS Long Term Plan priorities
- AI-enabled diagnostic transformation
- Reduction of imaging backlogs
- Early intervention models
- Sustainable healthcare delivery
Intended Impact
Earlier detection, more accurate stratification.
By enabling earlier detection and more accurate stratification of KOA, the system aims to:
- Reduce unnecessary MRI referrals
- Reduce diagnostic delay
- Lower surgical conversion rates
- Improve patient autonomy
- Support remote and repeatable assessment
The long-term vision includes measurable reductions in healthcare costs, waiting times, and environmental burden.
Commercial & System Alignment
A scalable deployment model.
The model supports both B2B healthcare deployment and direct patient-access pathways.
NHS trust licensing
Private clinic integration
Physiotherapy network partnerships
Industry collaboration, including implant manufacturers
Subscription-based digital diagnostic pathways
Positioning
MAI-MRI™ is a strategic AI diagnostic innovation programme developed by MSK Doctors and formally submitted through the NIHR i4i pathway, continuing to evolve within our active innovation pipeline.
Academic & Clinical Collaboration
We are actively seeking strategic partners and academic consortiums to accelerate these programmes towards clinical reality.