The reliability of the G reulich– P yle method in bone age determination among A ustralian children

Bone age ( BA ) determination in skeletally immature children has been used as a measurement of growth for many years. The G reulich– P yle ( G & P ) method of estimating BA is most commonly used. The standards used within this atlas were compiled from research conducted on normal white children in the U nited S tates, during the 1930s. The applicability of G & P beyond populations similar to its own can be variable. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of G & P in BA determination among Australian children. Methods and Materials Hand X ‐rays of children under the age of 18, investigated for trauma, were recruited. Mean differences between BA , according to the standards of G & P , and chronological age ( CA ) were compared among all patients and subgroups according to age, gender and left versus right hand. Results Between J anuary and D ecember 2010, 654 children underwent hand X ‐rays, 406 of these were included (276 males and 130 females). Overall BA was 2.2 months less than CA ( P ‐value = 0.005). BA of males and females was estimated to be 1.5 months ( P ‐value = 0.142) and 3.7 months ( P ‐value = 0.002) less than their CA respectively. No statistically significant difference was identified with intra‐observer ( P ‐value = 0.846) and inter‐observer interpretations ( P ‐value = 0.102). Conclusions Our results show that the standards of G & P are an accurate means of BA determination in A ustralian children.