What is a bone age standard?
Bone age criteria refers to the average age at which a particular x-ray skeletal image appears in the population, which is used as a benchmark to determine the bone age of each specific child. At present, there are three kinds of bone age criteria in common use: Standard atlas method The bone age is judged according to the series of X-ray atlas of the wrist bones, one set for each sex, each X-ray represents an age standard bone age, and the bone age can be determined by comparing the unknown X-ray films with the atlas one by one and finding the atlas that is most similar to it. This method is simple and clear, and is commonly used in pediatric clinics.
The scoring method is based on the changes in morphology and size of the bones in the wrist during maturation, which are artificially divided into several stages, and the corresponding scores are given separately and then the total scores are accumulated and converted into the corresponding bone age. This method is comprehensive and objective, with high accuracy. However, this method is cumbersome and requires special training to make effective judgments based on a good grasp of the different manifestations of the developmental stages of each bone mass. Therefore, it is not commonly used in general outpatient clinics.
Single index assessment method Based on the appearance of several ossification centers or the age of epiphyseal healing in certain areas. Generally, the age group in which the emergence rate is located is the normal standard, and the age in which the emergence rate is 3% to 97% is the normal range. This method is simple, but the accuracy is poor, and there is a lack of organic linkage between the indicators, which cannot fully reflect the development and maturity of the bones.
In conclusion, each method of determining bone age has its own advantages and disadvantages. Generally, the atlas method is suitable for the age below 7 years, and the scoring method is effective and accurate for determining bone age after 7 years, especially during puberty.