Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
07:56

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

Published on: January 29, 2018

Bone age at birth; method and effect of hypothyroidism

M Virtanen1, J Perheentupa

  • 1Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica
|May 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal bone age, assessed by distal femoral epiphyses (FE), reflects thyroid function. Researchers developed a method using FE height lag to accurately measure bone maturation in infants, avoiding confounding factors like body size.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Bone maturity in newborns is crucial for assessing neonatal health and thyroid function.
  • Congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) leads to retarded bone maturation, indicating prenatal thyroid deficiency severity.
  • Distal femoral epiphyses (FE) ossification is a key indicator of neonatal bone age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a reliable method for estimating neonatal bone age in infants.
  • To address the confounding effect of body size on distal femoral epiphyses (FE) height measurements.
  • To validate the use of FE height lag as an indicator of bone maturation, particularly in congenital hypothyroidism.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a reference group of 111 healthy infants to develop predictive models for FE height (FEH) using multiple linear regression.
  • Confirmed predictive models in a separate group of 37 healthy infants.
  • Calculated FE height lag by comparing observed FEH to predicted FEH to account for age and body size variations.

Main Results:

  • Infant body size was identified as a confounder when estimating bone age solely from FE size.
  • FE height (FEH) and FE height lag were found to correlate with serum thyroxine concentrations in 52 hypothyroid newborns.
  • FE height lag proved to be a more accurate indicator of bone maturation than FEH alone in heterogeneous populations.

Conclusions:

  • FE height lag is a superior method for assessing bone maturation in infants, especially when age and body size vary.
  • This method provides a reliable measure of bone maturation and can be used to assess the severity of prenatal thyroid failure in congenital hypothyroidism.
  • FE height lag offers a valuable tool for pediatric endocrinologists and neonatologists in evaluating infant development and thyroid status.

More Related Videos

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model04:39

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model

Published on: March 17, 2023

A Versatile, Behavioral Method to Investigate Thyroid Hormone Effects on Cerebellar Function04:05

A Versatile, Behavioral Method to Investigate Thyroid Hormone Effects on Cerebellar Function

Published on: October 6, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating02:48

Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating

Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time.
The Effect of Aging on Tissues01:19

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
Bone Disorders01:29

Bone Disorders

Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Graves Disease II: Pathophysiology01:24

Graves Disease II: Pathophysiology

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the production of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI) that activate TSH receptors, leading to excessive synthesis and release of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) and resulting in hyperthyroidism.Among all causes of hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease is the most common and can happen at any age, though it is more frequent in women. It produces a hypermetabolic state with features such as weight loss, tachycardia, tremor, and heat...