by 
The Curious Bag
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A bone age scan, or bone age test, is a diagnostic procedure that is performed on children to estimate the relative age of a child's skeletal structure. It is done by taking an X-ray of the left wrist and hand.
Purpose
Bone age scans may be performed to provide estimates of how long a child will grow or to approximate full-grown height. The test may also be performed if the child is unusually small or large for his age group.
Conditions
There are several metabolic, genetic or orthopedic conditions that will affect a child's growth and warrant a bone scan, reports kidshealth.org. These conditions include hypothyroidism, adrenal disorders and Turner's syndrome.
How It Works
As children age, the parts of bones that are growing appear darker on an X-ray, which allows a physician to compare the X-ray against images of standard bone growth.
Procedure
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center notes that the procedure requires no special preparation and is painless. The child will be given a protective apron, and the X-ray of the hand and wrist takes a few seconds.
Analysis
The X-ray will be reviewed by the child's physician, and the results will be reported to the parent(s), typically by mail or phone. Follow-up tests may be scheduled to further test abnormalities on the X-ray.
Source:
Kidshealth.org: X-ray Exam: Bone Age Study
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Bone Age X-ray
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