Bone age determination in eutrophic, overweight and obese Brazilian children and adolescents: a comparison between...

Bone age determination is usually employed to evaluate growth disorders and their treatment. The Greulich-Pyle method is the simplest and most frequently used type of evaluation, but it presents huge interobserver variability. The BoneXpert is a computer-automated method developed to avoid significant bone age variability among distinct observers.

To compare the BoneXpert and Greulich-Pyle methods of bone age determination in eutrophic children and adolescents, as well as in overweight and obese pediatric patients.

The sample comprised 515 participants, 253 boys (159 eutrophic, 53 overweight and 41 obese) and 262 girls (146 eutrophic, 76 overweight and 40 obese). Left hand and wrist radiographs were acquired for bone age determination using both methods.

There was a positive correlation between chronological age and Greulich-Pyle, chronological age and BoneXpert, and Greulich-Pyle and BoneXpert. There was a significant increase (P<0.05) in bone age in both the Greulich-Pyle and BoneXpert methods in obese boys when compared to eutrophic or overweight boys of the same age. In girls, there was an increase in bone age in both obese and overweight individuals when compared to eutrophic girls (P<0.05). The Greulich-Pyle bone age was advanced in comparison to that of BoneXpert in all groups, except in obese boys, in which bone age was similarly advanced in both methods.

The BoneXpert computer-automated bone age determination method showed a significant positive correlation with chronological age and Greulich-Pyle. Furthermore, the impact of being overweight or obese on bone age could be identified by both methods.