title: Objective evaluation of cervical vertebral bone age' its reliability in comparison with hand-wrist bone age: by TW3 method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to establish the validity of a new method for evaluating skeletal maturation by assessing the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae seen in the cephalometric radiograph.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of a sample of 50 patients in the age group of 8 to 14 years of age. Chronologically, they were divided into six groups, based on the age consisting of a minimum of six to a maximum of 10 subjects. All the patients included in the study were females. The selected subjects were clinically examined and then age and date of birth of the patient in years and months was noted. Then lateral cephalograms and hand-wrist radiographs of the patient were taken on the same day with good clarity and contrast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results suggested that cervical vertebral bone age on cephalometric radiographs calculated with this method is as reliable at estimating bone age as is the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method on hand-wrist radiographs. By determining the cervical vertebral bone age, skeletal maturity can be evaluated in a detailed and objective manner with cephalometric radiographs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability to accurately appraise skeletal maturity from cervical vertebral maturation, without the need for additional radiographs, has the potential to improve orthodontic diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The technique's simplicity and ease of use should encourage this method as a frst level diagnostic tool to assess skeletal maturation. Clinical signifcance: This study revealed that the timing and sequence of ossifcation of the bones in hand and wrist and cervical vertebrae were able to relate the skeletal development of the various skeletal maturity indicators to a child's development. This method provided a mean with which one can determine the skeletal maturity of a person and thereby determine whether the possibility of potential growth existed.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics, Army College of Dental Sciences, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, e-mail: drcmskp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cms Krishna
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Consultant Orthodontist, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Vamsi Nilay
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Orthodontics, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Gojja
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sreedevi
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics, Army College of Dental Sciences, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Swaroopa Rani
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ponnada
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics, MNR Dental College Sangareddy, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: K Padma
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Priya
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics, G Pulla Reddy Dental College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: B Raveendra
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D050276:Hand Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D015203:Reproducibility of Results