Defining clavicle growth in infancy using chest radiographs

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Radiology
• Human Growth and Development
• Skeletal Biology

Background:

• Limited research exists on clavicle growth patterns in early childhood, hindering the establishment of normative growth parameters.
• The clavicle's role in understanding growth and development necessitates detailed investigation during early life stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure clavicle dimensions and construct growth curves from preterm infants to 6-year-olds using routine chest radiographs.
• To analyze sex and bilateral differences in clavicle growth.
• To establish normative clavicle growth parameters for clinical and forensic applications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of chest radiographs from children aged 23 weeks gestation to 6 years (January 2010 - June 2020).
• Measurement of clavicle length and width using Centricity™ Universal Viewer on 1,340 qualifying radiographs.
• Statistical analysis performed using SPSS® to identify growth trends and differences.

Main Results:

• Clavicle length and width demonstrated a consistent increasing trend with age, with a noted decrease when including premature infants in the one-month age group.
• Statistically significant differences were observed between the left and right clavicles, as well as between sexes.
• Measurements derived from thoracic radiographs proved highly accurate, supporting their use for clavicle assessment.

Conclusions:

• Routine chest radiographs are a reliable tool for assessing clavicle growth, offering high accuracy in measurements.
• The established reference values provide a foundation for normative growth parameters in pediatric populations.
• This study addresses a critical gap in understanding early childhood clavicle development, with implications for clinical and forensic contexts.