Final answer:
A radiograph of a child's femur is used to estimate their skeletal age by examining the epiphyseal plates, which allows doctors to determine the stage of a child's bone development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Determination of radiologic bone age is most frequently applied to assess the growth and development of children, and it offers a non-invasive way to estimate the skeletal age of a child, which can differ from their chronological age.
How Can a Radiograph Determine Approximate Age?
A radiograph of a child's femur can determine the approximate age by observing the epiphyseal plates, which are areas where bone growth occurs. These epiphyseal plates appear and disappear at known stages of development. For instance, on the femur's radiograph, the presence of an epiphyseal plate at the base of the lesser trochanter, which appears around age 9-10 and disappears at puberty, would suggest that a child is approximately 10 years old.
Application in Adult Age Estimation
In adults, age estimation might require different methodologies since epiphyseal fusion is completed. One such approach is transition analysis, a skeletal age-estimation procedure which looks at markers like the pubic symphysis and cranial suture closure.