Skeletal Growth Study
How tall will you be? How fast will you grow?
Our research seeks to answer these two questions using a novel technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the physis (growth plate). DTI images are obtained using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the technique involves no radiation or injections.
We have been studying growth using DTI for more than a decade, and we have shown that it is an accurate method for predicting growth in children. With this study, we hope that DTI becomes a tool that can be used by physicians around the world to understand and predict growth in children.
Why predict growth?
Accurate prediction of growth will help with:
- Planning pediatric orthopedic surgeries that involve the growth plate
- Assessing whether growth hormone therapy is working early in the treatment
- Monitoring effects of treatment of cancer
- Evaluation of injuries to the growth plate
Join Our Study
What to Expect From a Knee MRI
MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce cross-sectional images of internal structures in the body. It involves no radiation. For an MRI of the knee, you can expect to:
- Lie on your back
- Have your knee encased in a "coil", which acts as an antenna and transmits radio waves to the computer.
- Slide into the MRI machine feet first. For taller people, this means their head remains outside the MRI machine.
- Speak with the technologist throughout the exam.
Learn More About Our Research
Our study, led by pediatric radiologist Diego Jaramillo, MD, MPH, is divided into several parts, each seeking to answer a different question about growth. Our research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR).
Eligible volunteers will be enrolled in one of the following studies:
SPR
To investigate how well we can predict how fast your height will increase during your growth spurt we will image you around the beginning of the growth spurt and 4 and 12 months later.
- Eligibility: Healthy girls aged 9-11 and boys aged 11-13 years
SA1
To investigate how well we can predict how fast your height will increase during your growth spurt we will image you around the beginning of the growth spurt and 4 and 12 months later. We will follow you 2 and 3 years after your first test to see whether we can keep predicting your growth and have an idea of how much growth is left. We will contact you once a year for 5 years or until your growth stops to see what is your final height.
- Eligibility: Healthy girls aged 8-11 and boys aged 10-13 years
SA2
To investigate how well we can predict how much growth you have left, we will image you once per year for two years towards the end of your years of growth. We will contact you once a year for 5 years or until your growth stops to see what is your final height.
- Eligibility: Healthy girls aged 12-14 and boys aged 14-16 years
SA3
To investigate how whether we can predict whether you are responding to growth hormone, we will study you at before starting growth hormone and 4, 8 and 12 months later. We will contact you once a year for 5 years or until your growth stops to see what is your final height.
- Eligibility: boys and girls 8 and older undergoing growth hormone therapy