A Novel Formula Based Model for Predicting Skeletal Maturation in Maharashtra

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Radiology
• Anthropology

Background:

• Accurate skeletal maturation assessment is crucial for orthodontic treatment planning.
• Cervical vertebral bone age (CVBA) estimation using lateral cephalograms offers a non-invasive alternative to hand-wrist radiography.
• A validated, objective method for CVBA is needed for diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate reliable, gender-specific formulae for cervical vertebral bone age (CVBA) estimation.
• To assess the accuracy of CVBA using lateral cephalograms in a Maharashtrian population.
• To compare CVBA with established skeletal age assessment methods.

Main Methods:

• Stepwise regression analysis was used to derive gender-specific formulae from C3/C4 measurements on lateral cephalograms of 1000 participants (9-20 years).
• The formulae were validated on an independent sample of 200 participants.
• Cervical vertebral bone age (CVBA) was compared with Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) bone age and chronological age using ANOVA, Tukey's test, and Pearson correlation.

Main Results:

• Gender-specific CVBA formulae were successfully generated.
• No significant differences were observed between CVBA, TW3 bone age, and chronological age for both males (P=0.393) and females (P=0.656).
• High correlations were found between CVBA, TW3 bone age, and chronological age, indicating strong agreement.

Conclusions:

• The developed gender-specific formulae are valid and reliable for objective cervical vertebral bone age estimation.
• This method provides an accurate tool for assessing skeletal maturation using lateral cephalograms in the Maharashtrian population.
• The findings support the use of CVBA as a dependable method for skeletal age assessment in clinical practice.