Skeletal maturity assessment with the use of cone-beam computerized tomography.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to compare cervical vertebrae maturity assessed with the use of cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) with the hand-wrist maturation method and cervical vertebrae maturation assessed with the use of lateral cephalography for the assessment of skeletal maturity.


METHODS
Assessment of skeletal maturation was done using skeletal maturity indicators (SMI) from hand-wrist radiography, cervical vertebrae maturity index (CVMI) from CBCT and lateral cephalography (cephalo-CVMI). The Spearman correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
We observed a significant relationship between CBCT-CVMI and cephalo-CVMI as well as between CBCT-CVMI and SMI stages. The Spearman correlation coefficient value between CBCT-CVMI and cephalo-CVMI was 0.975 (P < .0001) and between CBCT-CVMI and SMI was 0.961(P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Cervical vertebrae maturity assessment with CBCT provided a reliable assessment of pubertal growth spurt, and therefore CBCT can be used to assess skeletal maturity.
Department of Radiology, Showa University School of Dentistry, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-8515, Japan. vajendra.joshi@gmail.com
Vajendra
V
Joshi
Tetsutaro
T
Yamaguchi
Yukiko
Y
Matsuda
Norikazu
N
Kaneko
Kotarou
K
Maki
Tomohiro
T
Okano
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D002508:Cephalometry; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult