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Bone age assessment based on different MRI modalities of the proximal humerus epiphysis: the comparisons of T1WI, T2WI, and PDWI

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Abstract

Bone age assessment (BAA) is crucial in various fields, including legal proceedings, athletic competitions, and clinical medicine. However, the use of X-ray methods for age estimation without medical indication is subject to ethical debate, especially in forensic and athletic fields. The application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with non-ionizing radiation can overcome this limitation in BAA. This study aimed to compare the application value of several MRI modalities of proximal humeral in BAA. A total of 468 patients with shoulder MRIs were retrospectively collected from a Chinese Han population aged 12–30 years (259 males and 209 females) for training and testing, including T1 weighted MRI (T1WI), T2 weighted MRI (T2WI), and Proton density weighted MRI (PDWI). Optimal regression models were established for age estimation, yielding mean absolute error (MAE) values below 2.0 years. The MAE values of T1WI were the lowest, with 1.700 years in males and 1.798 years in females. The area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy values of different MRI modalities of 16-year and 18-year thresholds were all around 0.9. For the 18-year threshold, T1WI outperformed T2WI and PDWI. In conclusion, the three MRI modalities of the proximal humerus can serve as reliable indicators for age assessment, while the T1WI performed better in age assessment and classification.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province of China (grant number 2022YFS0530); the Opening Project of Key Laboratory of Evidence Science (China University of Political Science and Law), Ministry of Education (grant number 2021KFKT03); the Postdoctoral Research Project of Sichuan Province (grant number 2021–12).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Yu-su Jiao, Yilitabier Tuerhong, Cheng-xu Chen, Ting Lu, Zhen-hua Deng & Fei Fan

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Xin-hua Dai

  3. Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Zhao Peng

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  1. Yu-su Jiao
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  2. Yilitabier Tuerhong
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  5. Ting Lu
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Correspondence to Zhen-hua Deng or Fei Fan.

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Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of Sichuan University. Informed consent was waived because of the retrospective nature. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Jiao, Ys., Tuerhong, Y., Chen, Cx. et al. Bone age assessment based on different MRI modalities of the proximal humerus epiphysis: the comparisons of T1WI, T2WI, and PDWI. Int J Legal Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03182-7

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