Enhanced detection of bone age anomalies to help diagnose childhood growth disorders
Official title: Enhanced detection of anomaly in bone age X-ray for diagnosis of childhood growth disorder
Funded at Children's Research Institute · NIH-11454606 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI tool will help doctors look at left-hand bone-age X-rays to better diagnose growth disorders in children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | September 14, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,500 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HD120876-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454606 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 0-11 with suspected growth disorders who undergo left-hand bone-age X-rays.
✕Less likely to help
Children without growth disorders or with conditions not linked to bone-age anomalies may not benefit.
What this research studies
If your child has a growth concern, this project aims to create an AI-based detector that flags unusual bone-age patterns in left-hand X-rays. The researchers will build a large dataset from thousands of patients, train an AI system to identify rare anomalies, and test how well these findings align with known genetic disorders. The goal is to provide clinicians with a reliable, widely available aid to guide genetic testing and management for affected children. Results could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses, improving treatment decisions and family planning.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children with growth disorders could get faster, more accurate genetic diagnoses and tailored treatment plans.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data show detectable bone-age anomalies in a subset of patients with genetic growth disorders, suggesting potential for reliable AI-assisted detection.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Research Institute
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anwar, Syed M. — Children's Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Anwar, Syed M.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.