Carpal bone maturation assessment by image analysis from computed tomography scans

Bone maturation is the only reliable indicator of growth and its radiologic assessment with or without automated systems is a qualitative method. Imag e processing allows the study of bone maturation with quantitative data. Ca rpal bone maturation was studied in 20 children (13 boys and 7 girls, ages ranging from 4 to 15 years) without any clinical evidence of endocrine dise ase by image analysis from computed tomography (CT) scans. Each wrist CT sc an was processed in order to extract the carpal bones and to measure quanti tative data regarding volume, axes of inertia and density for each bone. Th e volumes and the length of the inertia axes were significantly correlated with age. Whatever the age, there were strong correlations between the volu me or the length of the main inertia axis of one carpal bone and that of al l others. The decrease in the carpal bone volume measured from the processi ng procedure compared with the theoretical volume of bone defined from the length of the three inertia axes indicated a change in bone shape during gr owth. Although the mean density was constant, there was an increase in the standard deviation of density with age. Skeletal maturity assessment with i mage analysis from CT scans seems to be a good complementary investigation to determine bone age in children. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.