Peer-Reviewed Research
3D Ultrasound Measures Spinal Alignment as Accurately as X-Ray
European Spine Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-08969-9
Automated 3D Ultrasound Imaging of the Spine Using Deep Learning
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 2020. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9034149
Research and Validation
SpineUs is built on more than a decade of academic research and clinical collaboration. Our technology has been validated in peer-reviewed publications and is being studied at leading research and clinical institutions.
See SpineUs in Action
Top-down view of a SpineUs scan acquisition.
Trusted Research Partners
SpineUs research and clinical evaluation is supported by collaborations with leading academic and clinical institutions.
Thomas Jefferson University
Radiology Research Collaboration
Joint research using SpineUs to compare 3D ultrasound with CT imaging and advance AI-enabled segmentation, in collaboration with Jefferson Radiology.
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Outpatient Clinical Evaluation
Outpatient clinic evaluation of SpineUs for scoliosis screening and monitoring in a primary-care educational setting.
Queen’s University — Perk Lab
Translational Research
Long-standing research partnership through the Perk Lab and Queen’s University surgical scoliosis program, the original academic home of the segmentation work behind SpineUs.
Published Research
Peer-reviewed studies underpinning SpineUs and the bone-enhanced 3D ultrasound approach to scoliosis assessment.
Automatic Spine Ultrasound Segmentation for Scoliosis Visualization and Measurement
Ungi T, Greer H, Sunderland KR, Wu V, Baum ZMC, Schlenger C, Oetgen M, Cleary K, Aylward SR, Fichtinger G.
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2020 Nov; 67(11):3234–3241
Introduces an automatic deep learning method for segmenting spinal bone surfaces in 3D ultrasound, enabling reproducible visualization and curvature measurement without ionizing radiation.
Bone-enhanced 3D ultrasound: a non-ionizing alternative for pediatric scoliosis assessment
Ungi T, Wu CO, Dance SJD, Lawall C, Nagel C, Khodorov G, Ford RW, Cleary K, Fichtinger G, Oetgen ME, Borschneck DP.
European Spine Journal, 2025 Jul; 34(7):2662–2668
Pediatric study comparing bone-enhanced 3D ultrasound (BEUS) Cobb angle measurements with X-ray; 93% of BEUS measurements were within ±5° of the X-ray reference standard.
Letter of Support
“This is a huge development in spinal imaging evaluation, particularly in the context of scoliosis and beyond. As a Chiropractic Radiologist we are always cognizant of radiation dosage related to radiographic imaging. The ultrasound technology you have developed has an extraordinarily promising future. The ease of use, image resolution, and clinical applicability make this a meaningful step forward for non-ionizing spinal assessment.”
— Dr. Robert Motley, DC, DACBR
Chiropractic Radiologist, Life Chiropractic College West