Bone Age at 3.5 Years: Boy and Girl Hand X-Ray Reference
These reference radiographs show the typical appearance of the hand and wrist of a 3.5 year old boy and a 3.5 year old girl for bone age assessment. In early childhood the carpal bones ossify one after another and the epiphyses of the fingers take on clearer shapes. This is a stage where side by side comparison with reference images is quick and reliable, because each half year brings visible change.
3.5 year old boy hand x-ray
In boys the triquetrum is now established and the lunate typically appears around the fourth birthday. The epiphyses of the phalanges and metacarpals are present and growing, though still narrower than their metaphyses.
3.5 year old girl hand x-ray
In girls the lunate often appears around the third birthday, noticeably earlier than in boys. Carpal bones are larger and better defined than in boys of the same chronological age, and the phalangeal epiphyses are more mature in shape.
What to look for at 3.5 years
- Triquetrum is established in both sexes
- Lunate appears around 3 years in girls and 4 years in boys
- All phalangeal and metacarpal epiphyses are usually present
- Epiphyses remain narrower than the adjacent metaphyses
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 3 Years and Bone Age at 4 Years. Browse every age point in the complete bone age atlas by age.