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The contribution of the carpal bones to the assessment of skeletal age
Author(s) -
Johnston Francis E.,
Jahina Soona B.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330230408
Subject(s) - bone age , carpal bones , wrist , radiography , orthodontics , medicine , mathematics , surgery , anatomy
The hand‐wrist radiographs of 64 boys and 63 girls were examined to determine the effect of the elimination of the carpal centers from those considered in estimating the skeletal age using the 1959 standards of Greulich and Pyle. The carpals were found to be a source of significant variable error in girls in repeated readings by individual observers. In addition, they lagged behind epiphyseal centers, relative to the standards. Based on these and other considerations it is recommended that they not be considered in assessing skeletal age. The presence of systematic errors within and between experienced observers casts doubt upon the accuracy of the Inspectional Technique itself in cases where precise assessments are needed.