title: Magnetic resonance imaging of the medial extremity of the clavicle in forensic bone age determination: a new four-minute approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the clavicle in forensic bone age determination was prospectively examined and compared with plain radiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four MRI sequences and three radiographs of 121 healthy subjects between 11 and 30 were studied by two observers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of images assessable for bone age determination was lower for plain radiography (PA: 68.7%; oblique: 97.5%) compared with MRI (VIBE: 99.0%). Concerning the subjective level of difficulty to assess bone age, the observers found it easier to assess bone age on MRI than on radiography. The developmental stages of the clavicle, as used on plain radiography, were transferable to MRI. Especially the VIBE gradient echo sequence provided an excellent depiction of the growth cartilage and ossification centre with a slice thickness of 0.9 mm and only a 4-min acquisition time. When the developmental stages were assigned, less variability between the observers was seen on MRI, compared with plain radiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that 3T MRI provides high resolution, cross-sectional images of the maturation of the clavicle without ionising radiation in a very short time, allowing more accurate determination of bone age than plain radiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Elke.Hillewig@Ugent.be
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hillewig
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Tobel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cuche
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandemaele
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verstraete
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D002648:Child; D002968:Clavicle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D013997:Time Factors