Abstract
In order to establish a fetal bone age score, the post-mortem skeletal radiographs of 85 selected normal fetuses aged from 15 to 41 weeks of gestation (WG) were analysed. Twenty-eight skeletal areas were selected for which quantitative and/or qualitative criteria were defined. Each new aspect was graded and tatistically tested by the stepwise linear regression method. Two modalities of scores of decreasing complexity were then designed. The use of these two scores permitted the assessment of the fetal age withr 2 values of 0.97 and 0.96 (standard error of estimation of 1.19 and 1.36 WG). Applied to 15 intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) fetuses, the age estimated by these scores was well correlated with the age obtained by extraosseous criteria of maturation. This method is proposed as a tool for determining the fetal age during necropsy and could also be useful in US prenatal evaluation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Larroche JC (1981) Critères morphologiques du développement du système nerveux central du foetus humain. J Neuroradiol 8: 93–108
Singer DB, Sung CJ, Wigglesworth JS (1991) Fetal growth and maturation: with standards for body and organ development. In: Wigglesworth JS, Singer DB (eds) Textbook of fetal and perinatal pathology. Blackwell Scientific, Cambridge, pp 11–47
Gaultier CI (1988) Physiologie et physiopathologie du développement et de la maturation du poumon anténatal. Rev Mal Respir 5: 213–222
Christie A, Martin M, Williams EL, Hudson G, Lanier JC (1950) The estimation of fetal maturity by roentgen studies of osseous development. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 60: 133–139
Haumont N, Catala N, Ducos N (1953) Sur le diagnosic de l'âge foetal. Ann Med Leg 33: 16–21
Lefebvre J, Koifman A (1956) Etude de l'apparition des points osseux secondaires et détermination de l'âge osseux. Arch Fr Pediatr 13: 1101–1105
Hartley JB (1957) Radiological estimation of fetal maturity. Br J Radiol 30: 561–576
Sénécal J, Grosse MC, Vincent A, Simon J, Lefrèche JN (1977) Maturation osseuse du foetus et du nouveau-né. Arch Fr Ped 34: 424–438
Foote GA, Wilson AJ, Stewart JH (1978) Perinatal post-mortem radiography — experience with 2500 cases. Br J Radiol 51: 351–356
Griscom NT, Driscoll SG (1980) Radiography of stillborn fetuses and infants dying at birth. AJR 134: 485–489
Williamson MR, Edwards DK (1980) Prediction of gestational age of infants from abdominal radiograph. Pediatr Radiol 9: 229–231
Cremin BJ, Drapper R (1981) The value of radiography in perinatal deaths. Pediatr Radiol 11: 143–146
Bagnall KM, Harris PF, Jones PRM (1982) A radiographic study of the longitudinal growth of primary ossification centers in limb long bones of the human fetus. Anat Rec 203: 293–299
Seppänen U (1985) The value of perinatal post-mortem radiography. Experience of 514 cases. Ann Clin Res 17 [Suppl 44]: 59
de la Fuente AA, Dornseiffen G, van Noort G, Laurini RN (1988) Routine perinatal postmortem radiography in a peripheral pathology laboratory. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol 413: 513–519
Gronvall J, Graem N (1989) Radiography in post-mortem examinations of fetuses and neonates. APMIS 97: 274–280
Kalifa G, Barbet TP, Labbe F, Houette A, Sellier N (1989) Value of systematic post mortem radiographic examinations of fetuses — 400 cases. Pediatr Radiol 19: 111–113
Van der Harten HJ, Brons JTJ, Schipper NW, Dijkstra PF, Meijer CJL, Van Geijn HP (1990) The prenatal development of the normal human skeleton: a combined ultrasonic and postmortem radiographic study. Pediatr Radiol 31: 52–56
BMDP (1983) In: Dixon WJ (ed) Statistical software. University of California, Berkeley Calif
Sauvegrain J, Nahum H, Bronstein H (1962) Etude de la maturation osseuse du coude. Ann Radiol 5: 542–550
Sauvegrain J, Nahum H, Carle F (1962) La maturation osseuse. Intérêt de la détermination de l'âge osseux. Méthodes d'évaluation (revue générale). Ann Radiol 5: 535–541
Collet M, Le Guern H, Boog G (1990) Diagnostic des malformations des membres. 12.1 Anomalies des membres. In: Gillet JY, Boog G, Nisand I, Vallette C (eds) Echographie des malformations foetales. Vigot, Paris, pp 263–302
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stempflé, N., Huten, Y., Fondacci, C. et al. Fetal bone age revisited: Proposal of a new radiographic score. Pediatr Radiol 25, 551–555 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02015793
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02015793