Comparison of Skeletal Age with Chronological Age by Tanner–Whitehouse (TW3) Method: A Cross-sectional Study in Ethnic Meitei Subjects

Age estimation of an individual is often required in civil and criminal cases, as well as in sports competitions. The study of the epiphyseal union of bones is considered a reasonable and accepted scientific method for estimating age by courts of law all over the world. The present work is a prospective cross-sectional study in which a calculated sample size of 86 subjects is studied. A comparative study is conducted between the chronological age (CA) of the subjects and the estimated age derived using the Tanner–Whitehouse (TW3) method. Based on the results, the following conclusions are drawn about the TW3 method in our set-up: (a) It is reliable for bone age assessment (BAA) with a root mean square (RMS) deviation of ±0.7Y = ±8 months. (b) It has a lower rate of correct classification in boys (40%) compared to girls and is a better match for girls. (c) It tends to underestimate age in both genders, so readings should be interpreted as far as possible toward the higher side. (d) CA predictions within six months (CA ± 6 months) are above 46.51%. in both genders. This study demonstrates the reliability of the results obtained through BAA using the TW3 method.