Bone Age at 7 Years: Boy and Girl Hand X-Ray Reference
These reference radiographs show the typical appearance of the hand and wrist of a 7 year old boy and a 7 year old girl for bone age assessment. In middle childhood the remaining carpal bones appear and the wrist starts to look complete. The scaphoid, trapezium and trapezoid ossify during this window, and the distal ulnar epiphysis becomes visible. Growth is steady and the reference images change in proportion rather than in kind.
7 year old boy hand x-ray
In boys the scaphoid, trapezium and trapezoid typically ossify between 5.5 and 7 years, and the distal ulnar epiphysis appears around the seventh birthday. Epiphyses of the fingers are widening toward the width of their metaphyses.
7 year old girl hand x-ray
In girls the scaphoid, trapezium and trapezoid usually appear between 4.5 and 5.5 years, and the distal ulnar epiphysis around 5.5 to 6 years. The carpal region looks noticeably more complete than in boys of the same age.
What to look for at 7 years
- Scaphoid, trapezium and trapezoid ossify, girls first
- Distal ulnar epiphysis appears, around 6 years in girls and 7 in boys
- Finger epiphyses widen toward metaphyseal width
- Carpal bones enlarge and begin to take adult shapes
How to use these reference images
Obtain a PA radiograph of the left hand and wrist and compare it side by side with the reference image for the matching sex. If the patient’s radiograph looks more mature, move to an older reference; if it looks less mature, move to a younger one. The best match gives the estimated bone age, which you can then combine with chronological age and current height to predict adult height.
Neighbouring ages: Bone Age at 6 Years and Bone Age at 8 Years. Browse every age point in the complete bone age atlas by age.