Estimation of bone age by MRI of footballers under 17 years of age at CNHU-HKM of Cotonou in Benin

Introduction: Age fraud in top-level sport is a topical issue, particularly for footballers under the age of 17, and especially in countries where birth registration is not systematic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to detect the bone age of footballers. The objective of this study was to describe the role of MRI in determining bone age.Materials and Methods: retrospective and descriptive study over a 4-month period from April to July 2024. All players who underwent MRI of the left wrist to detect bone age were included. The protocol consisted of a T1 SE coronal sequence of the left wrist.Results: 54 male players of Beninese nationality were examined. They had no known pathology. According to their administrative documents, they were all aged 17 or under. The average age declared was 14.18 ±1.04 years with extremes of 12 and 16 years. The distribution of players according to the stage of fusion of the radial physis was as follows: I (11.11%), II (20.37%), III (22.22%), IV (18.51%), V (22.22%) and VI (5.55%). As a result, 53.7% of players were aged < 17 years. The concordance between the declared civil age and the age detected on MRI was 29.63%.Conclusion: MRI contributed to the estimation of bone age in players, thereby limiting fraud in this area.