Reliability and correlation analysis of two skeletal maturation evaluation indexes: hand-wrist index and cervical vertebrae index

Melissa Feres DAMIAN, Fábio Eduardo WOITCHUNAS, Graziela Oro CERICATO, Fernando CECHINATO, Graziela MORO, Michele Elisabete MASSOCHIN, Florindo Luiz CASTOLDI

Aim: the aim of this study were to evaluate the reliability and correlation of two different skeletal maturation evaluation indexes. Methods: two hundred and ten hand-wrist and cephalometric radiographs from files of patients with 7- 18 years old were used. The hand-wrist radiographs were used to determine the skeletal maturation index (SMI) and the cephalometric radiographs to determine the cervical vertebrae maturation index (CVMI). Four independent evaluators were asked to examine twice each radiography and to verify the reliability of each index. The stages of SMI and CVMI were compared to evaluate the relationship between them. Results: the results were not statisticaly different among the four evaluators on SMI and CVMI indexes (p<0.00001). The correlation average to SMI was 95% for the first evaluation and 93.5% for the second evaluation. On the CVMI, the correlation average was 84% for the first evaluation and 74% for the second evaluation. The correlation intraoperator did not showed significant difference (p<0.00001) and the average for SMI was 93.5% and for CVMI was 80%. Comparing the indexes, there was no statistical differences (p<0.00001) with correlation of 62% in the first evaluation and 80% in the second evaluation. Conclusion: results from the two indexes suggest they are reliable to estimate the skeletal maturation. There is a correlation between the two indexes, however caution must be taken when using only the CVMI index.

Keywords: Orthodontic diagnosis. Skeletal maturation. Hand-wrist radiographs. Cephalometric radiographs. Cervical vertebrae.

Saturday, November 23, 2024 08:39