Cervical vertebral bone age estimation and its correlation to chronological age

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical vertebrae are used as a reliable tool to assess the skeletal maturation of an individual and predict the maximum growth potential.Aim and objective: This study aimed to estimate bone age by measuring 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae(C3, C4) dimensions on cephalometric radiographs.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 girls in the age group of 7-15 years were taken into consideration. Using cephalometric radiographs, we measured the cervical vertebral bodies and using a regression formula, cervical vertebral bone age was obtained based on the ratios of measurements in the third and fourth cervical vertebral bodies. It was then correlated with the chronological age.Results: The Spearman correlation coefficient between chronologic age and cervical vertebrae skeletal maturation was 0.695, with a (p-value < 0.001) which was statistically significant.Conclusion: The cervical-vertebrae maturation stages are considered clinically useful maturity indicators of the pubertal growth period.