Evaluation of the pattern of skeletal maturity of hand and wrist bone among 8 to 19 years old children from schools with known chronological age using X-rays, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022 G.C

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Because of many different factors like genetic and social or other, growth and development, chronological age could be different among children’s or people of the same age. Due to this discrepancy skeletal maturation, articulated as bone age; has been recognized as significant criterion for assessing growth and development. Wrist hand bones influence in age and gender determination. The wrist hand bones play crucial part because it has more exceptional features than any other part in human anatomy. Ossifications of carpal bones, radio-ulnar bone and growth plates in between phalanges can be easily identified if x-ray of hand wrist is accessible. Objective: To evaluate the pattern of skeletal maturity of hand and wrist among 8 to 19 years old children with known chronological age using X-rays. The degree of appearance and/or fusion of epiphyseal centers of hand wrist bones at certain age was assessed and then compared the findings of present study with other similar studies. Methods: Community based; cross-sectional study design was conducted in schools found in Gullele sub city. Convenience sampling method was used to select study participants until 150 study subjects are found. Cross tabulation descriptive statistics method was used to analyze and compare age range with sex and stage of fusion. Chi-square test was done to observe the relation. The unpaired t-test was used to evaluate the stage of fusion between male and female. p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All the data analysis was done by using SPSS 26.0 version. Results: The complete fusion of the epiphyses of radio-ulnar was observed 80% at the age interval of 18-19 years old students. Complete fusion of base of 1st MCB and heads of 2nd to 5th MCB was observed 80% and 100% in age group of 18-19 years. Females shows 1-2 years ahead of males in complete fusions. Pisiform bone appears from 9-11 years in females and 10-12 years in males. Conclusions and Recommendations: Female population show delay from males in 1 – 2 years gap for the fusion bones and appearance of pisiform bone. Lower end of ulna and radius fuses completely by age of 18-19 years. But there are some variances which indicates to do the research with project and having large number sample size. Keywords: Radiography, Bone, X-Ray, Age, Adolescents, Hand, Wrist, Medicolegal, Ethiopia