title: Value of MRI of the hand and the wrist in evaluation of bone age: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate bone age determination using MRI of the hand and wrist.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 179 (78 female and 101 males, 11 to 16 years old) subjects of 252 normal volunteers met entrance criteria. A low field open magnet (0.2 Tesla) was used for this study; coronal T1-weighted images with a slice thickness of 1.3mm were acquired. Two blinded radiologists evaluated the studies and the following elements were considered: the appearance of cartilage, vacuolization of cartilage, provisional calcification, progression of ossification, and complete ossification. Correlation between chronologic age and MR bone age was determined by means of simple linear regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strong correlation between MR skeletal age and chronological age was observed for both investigators, Pearson correlation R2 = 0.9 for each.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of bone age with MRI is feasible and shows good interobserver reproducibility. Data from this study may be useful to develop an atlas of skeletal development and bone age.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nissman
authors.forename: Najwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al Ansari
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stagnitti
authors.forename: Milvia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Ersilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbato
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Semelka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001846:Bone Development; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D050276:Hand Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method