Bone age determination in children with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: a comparison of two methods.

In 100 children (17 girls, 83 boys) with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, the average chronological age, pelvis bone age, and hand-wrist bone age were significantly different for the girls (8.2, 6.9, and 7.0 years, respectively; p < 0.05) and the boys (8.2, 7.4, and 5.9 years, respectively; p < 0.05). For the girls, the chronological age was greater than the pelvis bone age and the hand-wrist bone age (p < 0.05); there was no difference between the pelvis and hand-wrist bone age. For the boys, the chronological age was greater than the pelvis bone age and the hand-wrist bone age (p < 0.05); the pelvis bone age was greater than the hand-wrist bone age and less than the chronological age (p < 0.05). The acromelic growth in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease may explain why the more proximal pelvis bone age in boys was less delayed than that of the more distal hand-wrist.