: Application

Application 17295

Title:	AUtomated Generation of Musculoskeletal phENotypes from the UK biobank exTended imaging study (AUGMENT Study)
Lead Institution:	University of Bristol
Principal investigator:	Dr Celia Gregson

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About

We aim to further develop and refine a suite of automated analyses generating secondary variables from DXA scans. These methods will then be used to derive a comprehensive set of musculoskeletal phenotypes from 100,000 participants in the extended imaging study, including hip and knee shape, vertebral fractures and scoliosis. The relationship between these DXA phenotypes and clinical outcomes related to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, such as fractures and joint replacements, will subsequently be explored. We also plan to identify novel molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal disease, based on genetic factors associated with DXA phenotypes and clinical outcomes. We aim to build a major musculoskeletal research resource for Biobank, by using state-of-the-art DXA methods, and deliver an augmented musculoskeletal phenotype for future Biobank researchers. We then aim to use these newly derived data to better understand the determinants of musculoskeletal disease, for example spinal fractures (as seen on DXA VFA scans), joint shape (hip and knee - which may predispose to osteoathritis), scoliosis (which can cause back pain). These musculoskeletal diseases are common and therefore our findings will have important impact for health throughout our society. Whole body scans: a. Regional bone density will be extracted using semi-automated methods to check for artefacts and regional alignment b. Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) will be derived based on automated methods in development Hip scans: a. Principal components of hip shape will be obtained using automated methods in development b. Hip structural analysis will be performed using available automated software to extract measures of hip strength Knee scans: Principal components of knee shape will be obtained using automated methods in development Whole spine scans: Vertebral fractures/ deformities will be detected using automated methods after further developmental refinement Phase 1: (n=5000) methods development Phase II: (n=100,000) methods application (i.e. the full cohort in whom DXA is available)

1 Return

Return ID	App ID	Description	Archive Date
4322	17295	Trabecular bone score (TBS) as a new complementary approach for osteoporosis evaluation in clinical practice	4 Feb 2022

26 Publications

Pub ID	Title	Author(s)	Year	Journal
11317	A Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-Analysis of Alpha Angle Suggests Cam-Type Morphology May Be a Specific Feature of Hip Osteoarthritis in Older Adults	Benjamin G. Faber (+19)	2023	Arthritis & Rheumatology
21054	A comprehensive descriptive analysis of hip and knee radiographic osteoarthritis in the UK Biobank in relation to joint pain, joint site interrelationships, obesity, race and deprivation: Findings from 59,475 individuals	Asad Hashmi (+13)	2026	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
14767	A novel classifier of radiographic knee osteoarthritis for use on knee DXA images is predictive of joint replacement in UK Biobank	Rhona A Beynon (+10)	2024	Rheumatology Advances in Practice
13832	A novel semi-automated classifier of hip osteoarthritis on DXA images shows expected relationships with clinical outcomes in UK Biobank	Benjamin G Faber (+10)	2021	Rheumatology
4007	Age at puberty and accelerometer-measured physical activity: Findings from two independent UK cohorts	Ahmed Ehakeem (+3)	2020	Annals of Human Biology
20865	Analysis of leg bone lengths from whole body DXA in the UK Biobank	Faten Alomar (+2)	2026	BJR\|Artificial Intelligence
14533	Associations between work characteristics and osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study of 285,947 UK Biobank participants	A. Hashmi (+6)	2025	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
4404	Cam morphology but neither acetabular dysplasia nor pincer morphology is associated with osteophytosis throughout the hip: findings from a cross-sectional study in UK Biobank	B.G. Faber (+10)	2021	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
9048	Causal relationships between anthropometric traits, bone mineral density, osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis: A Mendelian randomisation investigation	Maria K. Sobczyk (+8)	2023	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
8385	Comparison between UK Biobank and Shanghai Changfeng suggests distinct hip morphology may contribute to ethnic differences in the prevalence of hip osteoarthritis	Jiayi Zheng (+16)	2023	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
18865	DXA-derived hip shape is associated with hip fracture: a longitudinal study of 38 123 UK Biobank participants	Sophie Scott (+12)	2025	Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
16825	Deriving alpha angle from anterior-posterior dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans: an automated and validated approach	Benjamin G. Faber (+7)	2022	Wellcome Open Research
9936	Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry derived knee shape may provide a useful imaging biomarker for predicting total knee replacement: Findings from a study of 37,843 people in UK Biobank	Rhona A. Beynon (+11)	2024	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
9506	Efficacy of metformin targets on cardiometabolic health in the general population and non-diabetic individuals: a Mendelian randomization study	Jie Zheng (+21)	2023	EBioMedicine
8953	Femoral neck width genetic risk score is a novel independent risk factor for hip fractures	Jonathan H Tobias (+13)	2024	Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
9594	Hip geometric parameters are associated with radiographic and clinical hip osteoarthritis: Findings from a cross-sectional study in UK Biobank	S.V. Heppenstall (+10)	2023	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
7851	Hip geometric parameters are associated with radiographic and clinical hip osteoarthritis: findings from a cross-sectional study in uk biobank	S.V. Heppenstall (+9)	2023	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
18447	Identifying scoliosis in a population-based adult cohort: automation of a validated method based on total body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans	Emmanuelle Bourigault (+5)	2026	European Spine Journal
12893	Machine Learning-Derived Acetabular Dysplasia and Cam Morphology Are Features of Severe Hip Osteoarthritis: Findings From UK Biobank	Monika Frysz (+9)	2020	Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
5377	Mendelian randomization provides evidence for a causal effect of higher serum IGF-1 concentration on risk of hip and knee osteoarthritis	April Hartley (+6)	2020	Rheumatology
16207	OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CHRONIC BACK PAIN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LATERAL SPINE SHAPE: A STUDY USING THE UK BIOBANK	F.R. Saunders (+4)	2025	Osteoarthritis Imaging
5507	Osteophyte size and location on hip DXA scans are associated with hip pain: Findings from a cross sectional study in UK Biobank	Benjamin G. Faber (+10)	2021	Bone
14340	The genetic architecture of hip shape and its role in the development of hip osteoarthritis and fracture	Benjamin G Faber (+18)	2024	Human Molecular Genetics
9722	The identification of distinct protective and susceptibility mechanisms for hip osteoarthritis: findings from a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of minimum joint space width and Mendelian randomisation cluster analyses	Benjamin G. Faber (+21)	2023	EBioMedicine
19704	Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate variation in bone shape and alignment associated with radiographic knee osteoarthritis: Findings from a study of 19,053 individuals in UK Biobank	Rhona A. Beynon (+12)	2025	Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
12642	Using multivariable Mendelian randomization to estimate the causal effect of bone mineral density on osteoarthritis risk, independently of body mass index	April Hartley (+62)	2021	International Journal of Epidemiology

1 Category

Category ID	Description	Items
125	Bone size, mineral and density by DXA	119

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