Is there any relationship between pubertal growth spurt and dental or bone age estimation methods?

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of the Willems method, Nolla method, Cameriere dental age estimation method(CDM), Greulich-Pyle Atlas(GPA) method, and Cameriere bone age estimation method(CBM) for age estimation in healthy children aged between ten and 14.9 years, according to the pubertal growth stage(PGS). The accuracy was determined as the difference between estimated age(EA) and chronological age(CA) was assessed by analysing orthopantomograms and hand-wrist radiographs. At the onset of the PGS, the Willems method showed the closest value to the CA for both sexes(girls = 0.17 ± 0.78, boys = 0.006 ± 0.96 years). At the peak, the Willems method showed the closest value to the CA for girls(0.005 ± 1.09 years), and the GPA method for boys(0.05 ± 0.68 years). At the end of the PGS, the Willems method showed the closest value to the CA for girls(0.09 ± 1.23 years), and the CBM for boys(0.24 ± 0.74 years). It was observed that all methods concluded with the closest result to the CA at the onset period of the PGS. Our study demonstrates that sex and PGS are effective in over- or under- estimations that are obtained according to the CA.