Bone marrow aspirate and bone marrow aspirate concentrate: Does the literature support use in long-bone nonunion and provide new insights into mechanism of action?
To assess the use of bone marrow aspirate (BM) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) in the treatment of long-bone nonunion and to understand mechanism of action.
Optimizing calibration of modern skeletal maturity systems
Greulich and Pyle is the most used system to estimate skeletal maturity but has significant drawbacks, prompting the development of newer skeletal maturity systems, such as the modified Fels skeletal maturity systems based on knee radiographs. To create a new skeletal maturity system, an outcome variable, termed a "skeletal maturity standard," must be selected for calibration of the system. Peak height velocity and 90% of final height are both considered reasonable skeletal maturity standards for skeletal maturity system development. We sought to answer two questions: (1) Does a skeletal maturity system developed using 90% of final height estimate skeletal age as well as it would if it was instead developed using peak height velocity? (2) Does a skeletal maturity system developed using 90% of final height perform as well in lower extremity length prediction as it would if it was instead developed using peak height velocity?
