Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review
Bone age assessment is a critical tool for evaluating skeletal maturity in children and adolescents, with implications for growth monitoring and clinical decision-making. While traditional radiographic methods such as the Greulich-Pyle and Tanner-Whitehouse systems remain the gold standard, concerns...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1615923/full |
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| author | Yixuan Zhang Xiao Yang Li Zhang Zeqing Zhao Yamei Yang |
| author_facet | Yixuan Zhang Xiao Yang Li Zhang Zeqing Zhao Yamei Yang |
| author_sort | Yixuan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bone age assessment is a critical tool for evaluating skeletal maturity in children and adolescents, with implications for growth monitoring and clinical decision-making. While traditional radiographic methods such as the Greulich-Pyle and Tanner-Whitehouse systems remain the gold standard, concerns over ionizing radiation exposure have spurred interest in ultrasound-based alternatives. This mini-review synthesizes current evidence on ultrasound bone age assessment, highlighting its advantages as a radiation-free, non-invasive modality with strong correlations to radiographic standards. Key advancements include standardized scoring systems, ossification ratios (e.g., radius/ulna/femur), and acoustic measures (e.g., speed of sound), which enhance reliability and reduce inter-operator variability. However, challenges persist, including protocol standardization, population-specific variability, and operator dependency, particularly in advanced pubertal stages. Future directions emphasize the development of large-scale, longitudinal and multi-ethnic reference databases, consensus guidelines, and AI integration to improve precision. Ultrasound bone age assessment shows promise as a viable clinical tool, but further refinements are needed to address its limitations and ensure equitable applicability across diverse populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a7e2c69042b4a39b401f7ddbebfd4ce |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a7e2c69042b4a39b401f7ddbebfd4ce2025-08-21T05:27:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602025-08-011310.3389/fped.2025.16159231615923Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-reviewYixuan ZhangXiao YangLi ZhangZeqing ZhaoYamei YangBone age assessment is a critical tool for evaluating skeletal maturity in children and adolescents, with implications for growth monitoring and clinical decision-making. While traditional radiographic methods such as the Greulich-Pyle and Tanner-Whitehouse systems remain the gold standard, concerns over ionizing radiation exposure have spurred interest in ultrasound-based alternatives. This mini-review synthesizes current evidence on ultrasound bone age assessment, highlighting its advantages as a radiation-free, non-invasive modality with strong correlations to radiographic standards. Key advancements include standardized scoring systems, ossification ratios (e.g., radius/ulna/femur), and acoustic measures (e.g., speed of sound), which enhance reliability and reduce inter-operator variability. However, challenges persist, including protocol standardization, population-specific variability, and operator dependency, particularly in advanced pubertal stages. Future directions emphasize the development of large-scale, longitudinal and multi-ethnic reference databases, consensus guidelines, and AI integration to improve precision. Ultrasound bone age assessment shows promise as a viable clinical tool, but further refinements are needed to address its limitations and ensure equitable applicability across diverse populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1615923/fullbone age assessmentultrasound imagingskeletal maturitychildren and adolescentspediatric growth evaluation |
| spellingShingle | Yixuan Zhang Xiao Yang Li Zhang Zeqing Zhao Yamei Yang Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review Frontiers in Pediatrics bone age assessment ultrasound imaging skeletal maturity children and adolescents pediatric growth evaluation |
| title | Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review |
| title_full | Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review |
| title_fullStr | Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review |
| title_short | Ultrasound-based bone age assessment in children and adolescents: a mini-review |
| title_sort | ultrasound based bone age assessment in children and adolescents a mini review |
| topic | bone age assessment ultrasound imaging skeletal maturity children and adolescents pediatric growth evaluation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1615923/full |
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