Children's bone age development is delayed with increasing altitude: a multicentre study.

Objectives: To investigate the bone age (BA) characteristics of children living in high-altitude regions and determine the impact of altitude on the development of BA.

Methods: From June 2014 to July 2022, 1318 children with left-hand-wrist radiographs were retrospectively enrolled from 3 different geographical altitudes (Beijing 43.5 m above sea level [asl], Lhasa 3650 m asl, and Nagqu 4500 m asl).

An artificial intelligence-based bone age assessment model for Han and Tibetan children.

Manual bone age assessment (BAA) is associated with longer interpretation time and higher cost and variability, thus posing challenges in areas with restricted medical facilities, such as the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for automating BAA could facilitate resolving this issue. This study aimed to develop an AI-based BAA model for Han and Tibetan children.