Bone age is evaluated by radiography of which bones using norms for different ages and sexes?

Bone age is evaluated by radiography of which bones using norms for different ages and sexes?

• A. The Knee and Left Wrist
• B. The Skull and Mandible
• C. The Clavicle and Pelvis
• D. The Spine and Ribs

Answer: (A)

Bone age assessment relies on skeletal maturity as seen on radiographs and is compared to age- and sex-specific norms. The left hand and wrist are the standard site because they contain many ossification centers that mature in a well-defined sequence, and there are extensive, well-validated reference standards (such as Greulich-Pyle and TW2) that cover a wide range of ages. A single radiograph of the left hand and wrist thus provides a reliable estimate of bone age. While some protocols may examine other sites like the knee, they do not have the same broad, established normative data for routine bone age estimation, so they are not the primary method.

Bone age assessment relies on skeletal maturity as seen on radiographs and is compared to age- and sex-specific norms. The left hand and wrist are the standard site because they contain many ossification centers that mature in a well-defined sequence, and there are extensive, well-validated reference standards (such as Greulich-Pyle and TW2) that cover a wide range of ages. A single radiograph of the left hand and wrist thus provides a reliable estimate of bone age. While some protocols may examine other sites like the knee, they do not have the same broad, established normative data for routine bone age estimation, so they are not the primary method.