Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the hand and wrist
ultrasonographic version chart of Greulich and Pyle (GP) method for estimation of the skeletal age during
the first 6 years of life.
Patients and Methods: Plain radiography and ultrasound examination of the left hand and wrist
of 87 selected children was done during a period of 17 months. The plain radiographs were made and
interpreted according to the GP method. The ultrasound examination was interpreted using the hand and
wrist ultrasonography chart which based on the GP method. The estimated bone age by both methods were
compared statistically.
Results: The estimated bone age from the ultrasonographic version chart is accurate and significantly
correlated with the plain radiography method of GP. The estimated bone age was identioal by both methods
in 75.5% of the boys and 57.9 % of the girls. The difference was less than or equal to 3 months in 81.6 %
of the boys and 78.9% of the girls.
Conclusion: The ultrasonographic version chart of GP method approved to be safe and accurate
compared with the plain radiography method of GP in assessment of the skeletal age. The ultrasonographic
chart is more simple and faster than the GP atlas, nevertheless, the plain radiography method is still
the most commonly used method in skeletal age assessment besides it gives more information about the
condition of the bone than the ultrasonographic version. |
