[Reliability of the Sauvegrain and Nahum method to assess bone age in a contemporary population].
OBJECTIVE
The Sauvegrain and Nahum method can be used to assess bone age in addition to methods based on hand and wrist radiographs in children between 9 and 15 years of age. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of this method in a contemporary population.


METHODS
Elbow radiographs taken for acute trauma in 106 patients (42 girls, 64 boys) aged from 9 to 15 years old were analyzed by four radiologists. Inclusion in the study required the absence of chronic disease and previous trauma as well as parental consent.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the four observers. The differences between bone age (BA) and chronological age (CA) were 5+/-1 months for the study group, 3.5+/-9 months for the female group, and 6+/-12 months for the male group. Bone age was overestimated compared with chronological age. There was a good correlation between CA and BA (r = 0.84).


CONCLUSIONS
The Sauvegrain and Nahum method seems to overestimate CA in a contemporary population.
Chaumoître
K
K
Service d'Imagerie Médicale, Hôpital Nord, 13915 Marseille Cedex 20. kathia.chaumoitre@ap-hm.fr
Colavolpe
N
N
Sayegh-Martin
Y
Y
Pernoud
N
N
Dutour
O
O
Panuel
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004550:Elbow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012737:Sex Factors