De Greulich&Pyle-atlas voor het bepalen van de skeletleeftijd nog steeds bruikbaar in een hedendaagse Nederlandse blanke populatie

To validate the use of the Greulich&Pyle atlas for determining skeletal age in a healthy contemporary Dutch white population.

Design

Diagnostic evaluation study.

Methods

In 278 Dutch white boys (mean age: 12.6 years; range: 5.0-19.5), and 294 Dutch white girls (mean age: 12.2 years; range: 5.2-19.9) radiographs of the left hand were scored by two investigators according to the Greulich&Pyle atlas. Participants and their parents or guardians gave informed consent.

Results

The intra-observer coefficient of variation of duplicate assessment of skeletal age for the investigators was 2.4 and 1.5 respectively. There were no significant systematic differences between both observers with respect to variability and the agreement between the two was good. There was a strong significant correlation between skeletal and calendar age: r_girls = 0.974 and r_boys = 0.979 (both p < 0.001). On average calendar age slightly preceded skeletal age by 1.7 months in girls and 3.3 months in boys (both p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The Greulich&Pyle atlas still appears to be applicable in a contemporary Dutch white population.