Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
A comparison of skeletal maturity assessed by radiological and ultrasonic methods
Katinka Utczas1, Agota Muzsnai2, Noel Cameron3
1Department of Biological Anthropology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
Insights
An ultrasonic method accurately estimates skeletal maturity in children, correlating strongly with traditional radiographic methods. This non-invasive technique is suitable for epidemiological surveys assessing bone development in children aged 7.5-16 years.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Radiology
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Skeletal maturity estimation is crucial for assessing growth disorders and treatment efficacy in children.
- Current methods like Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Tanner-Whitehouse (TW) rely on radiographic imaging, involving ionizing radiation.
- An alternative, non-invasive ultrasonic method has been proposed for skeletal maturity assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of a novel ultrasonic method for estimating skeletal maturity.
- To compare the ultrasonic method against the standard Greulich-Pyle (GP) radiographic method.
- To determine the optimal age range for utilizing the ultrasonic method in children.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative ultrasound was used to estimate skeletal maturity in 1502 healthy children (aged 6-18 years).
- A subsample of 47 participants had their skeletal maturity assessed using both ultrasound and standard GP radiographic methods (left hand and wrist).
- Correlation analysis was performed to compare ultrasonic bone age estimations with radiological bone ages.
Main Results:
- The ultrasonic bone age estimation showed very strong correlations with all radiological age estimations (correlation coefficients 0.895–0.958).
- The strongest correlation was observed between the ultrasonic method and the Tanner-Whitehouse RUS method.
- Recommended age ranges for ultrasonic bone age estimation are 8.5-16.0 years for boys and 7.5-15.0 years for girls.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic bone age estimation is a reliable and accurate alternative to radiographic methods.
- The method demonstrates appropriate sensitivity for screening abnormal bone development in epidemiological surveys.
- The ultrasonic method is recommended for use within the 8-15 years age interval for epidemiological studies.
Objectives:
The estimation of skeletal maturity is a useful tool in pediatric practice to determine the degree of delay or advancement in growth disorders and the effectiveness of treatment in conditions that influence linear growth. Skeletal maturity of children is commonly assessed using either Greulich-Pyle (GP) or Tanner-Whitehouse methods (TW2 and TW3). However, a less invasive ultrasonic method, that does not use ionizing radiation, has been suggested for use in epidemiological studies of skeletal maturity. The main purpose of the present study was to determine the accuracy of an ultrasonic method based on the GP maturity indicators compared to the standard GP radiographic method.
Methods:
Skeletal maturity of 1502 healthy children, aged from 6 to 18 years, was estimated by quantitative ultrasound and compared to GP bone ages estimated from left hand and wrist radiographs of a subsample of 47 randomly selected participants.
Results:
The ultrasonic bone age estimation demonstrated very strong correlations with all the radiological age estimations. The correlation coefficients ranged between 0.895 and 0.958, and the strongest correlation of ultrasonic skeletal maturity estimation was found with the Tanner-Whitehouse RUS method. The ultrasonic bone age estimation is suggested for use between the chronological ages of 8.5-16.0 years in boys and 7.5-15.0 years in girls.
Conclusions:
The ultrasonic bone age estimation is suggested for use in epidemiological surveys since the sensitivity for screening for not normal bone development is appropriate, at least within the 8-15 years age interval.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Ultrasonography
During an ultrasonography procedure, a handheld device called...
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
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...