Assessment of Applicability of Gleurich and Pyle (GP) Method for Determination of Age of Children in 14-18 Years Age-Group at S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur

Abstract

Background, Aim and Objective: Age estimation is also one of the important factors to establish individual’sidentity and radiological investigations play a phenomenal role in estimation of age in conjunction with clinical examination. The aim of this study to assess the applicability of Greulich and Pyle (GP) method for determination of age in 14-18 years of age group healthy population of Jaipur region. And objective is to assess the skeletal age determined by GP method using hand radiography of study population.Method: This study was carried out on total 80 subjects at the Department of Forensic Medicine in association with the Department of Radiology after obtaining due permission and approval from the RRB and IEC of SMS Medical College, Jaipur during the period from 1st July, 2020 to 31st August, 2021 of subjects between 14-18 years of age. All subjects recruited from each age sub-group category viz 14-15 years (Group A), 15-16 years (Group B), 16-17 years (Group C) and 17-18 years (Group D) including equal number of members from both sexes (10 males and 10 females of each age sub group category). After obtaining valid informed consent for age estimation all details,general physical & dental examination was done and recorded in proposed Pro forma. The skeletal age (bone age) was determined using Greulich and Pyle Atlas (2nd edition, 1959)15. X-ray image on computer was comparedwith images on GP Atlas according to sex and most matching image to assess the skeletal age. Images wereseparated in two groups according to their sex and examined by both observers at different occasions to determine skeletal age of subjects and result derived.Result: Among all (n=80), of 81.2% Hindus (34 males and 31 females), 12.5% Muslims (4 males and 6 females) and 6.25% Jains (2 males and 3 females). Correlation of estimated skeletal age by GP method to the chronological age in both females and males showed a strong positive correlation. {r value=0.987 (females) & 0.974 (males)} and for both p<0.001 which indicates that the correlation of estimated skeletal age and chronological age was statistically significant.Conclusion: Study reveals skeletal age lagged behind chronological age in all age subgroups in both boys and girls but the difference of CA and SA is less in girls as compared to boys. The G-P atlas method, although very old but used with caution can yield good results for assessment of bone age in Indian boys and girls, better for girls. Delay in skeletal maturation was observed in both males and females, but the females in the sample matured earlier then the males. Thus, G-P atlas method seems applicable on Indian children. However, studies on larger sample sizes considering other factors may yield better insight into its forensic application.