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The utility of ultrasonographic bone age determination in detecting growth disturbances; a comparative study with the
Parisa Hajalioghli1, Mohammad Kazem Tarzamni, Sara Arami
1Department of Radiology, Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Insights
Ultrasonography can accurately determine bone age abnormalities in children, matching the effectiveness of traditional radiography. This non-invasive imaging technique shows high agreement and diagnostic values, making it a viable alternative for assessing growth problems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric radiology
- Medical imaging technology
Background:
- Conventional radiography is the standard for assessing bone age abnormalities.
- Accurate bone age determination is crucial for diagnosing and managing pediatric growth disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate ultrasonography as a replacement for radiographic bone age assessment.
- To compare the accuracy and agreement of ultrasonography with radiography in detecting bone age abnormalities.
Main Methods:
- 54 Caucasian children up to 7 years old with suspected growth problems were included.
- Left hand and wrist radiographs and ultrasonographic bone age estimations were performed using the Greulich-Pyle atlas.
- Ultrasonography targeted specific ossification centers in the radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges.
Main Results:
- High agreement was observed between radiographic and ultrasonographic bone age estimations (three outliers).
- Ultrasonography demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy: 100% sensitivity and specificity in males, and 90.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity in females.
- Deviations in bone age from chronological age showed consistent signs between both methods.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonography is a reliable alternative to conventional radiography for determining bone age abnormalities.
- The findings support the potential for ultrasonography to replace radiographic techniques in pediatric bone age assessment.
Objective:
To test whether the conventional radiographic technique in determining bone age abnormalities can be replaced by ultrasonography.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 54 Caucasian subjects up to 7 years of age with clinically suspected growth problems underwent left hand and wrist radiographic and ultrasonographic bone age estimations with the use of the Greulich-Pyle atlas. The ultrasonographic scans targeted the ossification centers in the radius and ulna distal epiphysis, carpal bones, epiphyses of the first and third metacarpals, and epiphysis of the middle phalanx, as described in previous reports. The degree of agreement between the two sets of data, as well as the accuracy of the ultrasonographic method in detecting radiographically suggested bone age abnormities, was examined.
Results:
The mean chronological age, radiographic bone age, and ultrasonographic bone age (all in months) were 41.96 ± 22.25, 26.68 ± 14.08, and 26.71 ± 13.50 in 28 boys and 43.62 ± 24.63, 30.12 ± 17.69, and 31.27 ± 18.06 in 26 girls, respectively. According to the Bland-Altman plot there was high agreement between the results of the two methods with only three outliers. The deviations in bone age from the chronological age taken by the two techniques had the same sign in all patients. Supposing radiography to be the method of reference, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of sonography in detecting growth abnormalities were all 100% in males and 90.9, 100, 100, and 93.8%, respectively, in females.
Conclusion:
The conventional radiographic technique for determining bone age abnormalities could be replaced by ultrasonography.
