New model for cervical vertebral bone age estimation in boys

AbstractThe objective of this study was to test the validity of a newly developed statistical model in establishing the cervical vertebral bone age in growing children. The sample of the study consisted of lateral cephalometric and hand-wrist radiographs of 122 Saudi male children. Subjects were divided based on their chronological age into six groups: 10–15years. The metric dimensions of the vertebral body of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae were measured from the lateral cephalometric radiographs and a statistical model was developed through a stepwise multiple regression analysis to calculate the cervical vertebral bone age. The validity of the statistical model was assessed against the bone age and skeletal age determined from the hand-wrist radiographs using the Tanner–Whitehouse 3 method and the Greulich and Pyle atlas method. No significant (P<0.05) difference and high correlation were found between the calculated cervical vertebral bone age and the bone/skeletal age established by the hand-wrist methods. No significant (P