What does bone age mean?
Disease description:
During a child's physical examination, the doctor may request a bone age assessment. What does bone age mean?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Chen Jian
Bone age, simply put, is the abbreviation for skeletal age. It is an important indicator commonly used in the field of bone examination. Its primary value lies in assessing the growth and development status of adolescents and providing critical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of certain endocrine disorders.
In determining bone age, specific images from X-ray examinations are required. Generally, an X-ray film of the left hand and wrist area is taken. Doctors carefully observe the degree of development of the ossification centers in the X-ray images to determine the bone age.
Under normal circumstances, most people's bone age is relatively close to their chronological age. However, due to the combined influence of various factors such as genetics, diet, and environment, there may be a certain gap between bone age and actual age.
If the bone age is greater than the actual age, it may indicate the possibility of conditions such as precocious puberty; conversely, if the bone age is less than the actual age, it may suggest issues such as insufficient growth hormone secretion or delayed skeletal maturation.
For parents, regularly monitoring their child's bone age changes can help detect and intervene in potential growth and development problems in a timely manner, ensuring their healthy growth.
