Bone age test
Also called: skeletal age assessment
What it means
A bone age test uses an X-ray, usually of the hand and wrist, to see how mature a person's bones look compared to typical growth patterns for their age. It's mainly used in children and teens to check growth, not in adults for osteoporosis screening.
If you're an adult worried about your bones, this isn't the test you need — a DEXA scan is what actually measures your bone density and fracture risk.
A bone age test, also called a skeletal age assessment, compares an X-ray of a child's or teen's hand and wrist bones to a standard reference set for their age and sex. Doctors use it to see whether growth and bone development are on track, ahead, or behind, which can help evaluate growth disorders, delayed puberty, or hormone problems.
This is different from the bone density tests adults usually think about when they hear "bone age." Skeletal age looks at the shape and fusion of growth plates in growing bones, while a DEXA scan measures bone mineral density using a T-score or Z-score. One is about growth timing; the other is about bone strength and fracture risk.
For adults, especially those past midlife, a bone age test has little relevance since growth plates have already closed. If you're concerned about bone health as you age, talking with your doctor about a DEXA scan, blood tests, or your personal fracture risk factors is the more useful next step.
Bone age tests check growth in kids and teens, not bone density or osteoporosis risk in adults.
Where this leads
WordYou just learned bone age tests aren't for adult bone health. Curious what test actually measures your bone density instead? Here is the DEXA scan.
Related words
A DEXA scan is a low-radiation X-ray test that measures how much mineral is in your hip and spine bones, giving you…
A growth plate (epiphyseal plate, or physis) is a layer of cartilage near the ends of a child's or teen's long bones…
A T-score shows how your bone density compares to a healthy young adult, measured in standard deviations, and it's…
A Z-score compares your bone density to other people your own age and sex, which matters most for younger adults,…
Bone mineral density (BMD) measures how much mineral is packed into your bones, usually estimated with a DEXA scan,…
Osteoporosis screening age is the age when doctors generally recommend your first bone density (DEXA) scan to check…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
