Skeletal Bone Age Assessment

Bone age assessment is a procedure frequently performed in pediatric radiology. Based on a radiological examination of skeletal development of the left-hand wrist, bone age is assessed and then compared with the chronological age. A discrepancy between these two values indicates abnormalities in skeletal development. The procedure is often used in the management and diagnosis of endocrine disorders and it can also serve as an indication of the therapeutic effect of treatment. Generally, it can indicate whether the growth of a patient is accelerating or decreasing. In many cases the decision whether to treat a patient with growth hormones depends on the outcome of this test. Another relevant application is in the social field. In fact, a considerable percentage of asylum seekers that come to European countries claim to be a minor to increase their chance to obtain a residence permit. Since these people usually don’t have identity papers, determination of the skeletal maturity can help in the determination of the true age of such a person.

This examination is universally used due to its simplicity, minimal radiation exposure, and the availability of multiple ossification centers for evaluation of maturity. Automatic skeletal age assessment has the potential to reduce the time required to examine the image and to increase the reliability of the analysis.