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. 2025 Sep;20(6):951-957.
doi: 10.1177/15589447241242830. Epub 2024 Apr 12.

Exploring Age-Related Variations in Carpal Bone Volume: Implications for Clinical Practice and Anatomical Understanding

Aparna D Ganhewa  1 , Ishith Seth  1   2 , Rui Wu  1 , Michael P Chae  1   2   3 , Vicky Tobin  1 , Julian A Smith  1 , David J Hunter-Smith  1   2 , Warren M Rozen  1   2
Affiliations

Exploring Age-Related Variations in Carpal Bone Volume: Implications for Clinical Practice and Anatomical Understanding

Aparna D Ganhewa et al. Hand (N Y). 2025 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Clinically recognizing the changes in carpal bone volumes and understanding their implications in predicting osteoarthritis (OA) is crucial in clinical practice This study aimed to explore age-related differences in carpal bone volumes across genders, leveraging computed tomography (CT) wrist scans to create 3D surface models of these bones.

Methods: Carpal bone volumes were calculated using the 3D Slicer software from CT scans obtained from Frankston Hospital and additional datasets from Brown and Auckland Universities. The data were statistically processed using Stata V13. Double-sided P-values < .05 were considered statistically significant. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards laid out in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Results: A total of 181 patients were analyzed, and 48% of whom were female. A statistically significant positive Spearman correlation (rho = 0.37-0.611, P <.05) was observed between increasing age and the volume of all surveyed carpal bones (scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, hamate, capitate, and trapezium) across genders. Intrauser and interuser reliabilities for 3D Slicer-generated volumes of trapezium and pisiform bones were statistically significant, with Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values of 0.86 and 0.95, respectively.

Conclusion: Trapezial volumes increase with age, potentially due to the presence of OA and consequent osteophyte formation. This pattern is more prevalent among older individuals and women. However, the positive correlation between carpal bone volume and age was consistent across all carpal bones and both genders, regardless of OA presence. These findings suggest that carpal bone volume may naturally increase with age, independent of OA-related changes.

Level of evidence: III, cohort study.

Keywords: aging; anatomy; bones; carpus; morphology; wrist.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Screenshot of segmented pisiform (A) and trapezium (B) and 3D virtual surface model of trapezium and pisiform (C).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Spearman correlation between trapezium volume and age in males (rho = 0.51) and females (rho = 0.54).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Spearman correlation between total carpal volume excluding the trapezium and age in males (rho = 0.42) and females (rho = 0.45).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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