The AI system was trained on nearly 50,000 X-rays from almost 5,000 patients – one of the largest osteoarthritis datasets in the world, the institute said.
The AI “outperforms” comparable tools as it is nine times faster and more compact, it added.
Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in older adults, the university said.
Researchers said the work could pave the way for similar tools in other chronic conditions, such as predicting lung damage in smokers or tracking heart disease, allowing doctors to act early.
The university said it would be seeking partnerships to bring the technology into real-world clinical settings.