MR imaging insights into skeletal maturation: what is normal?

Skeletal growth and maturation in children is a dynamic process that can be documented with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. There are predictable normal developmental changes that must be differentiated from pathologic processes. This review discusses the histologic structure and MR imaging appearance of normal development-related changes of the musculoskeletal system in children, including those that may be mistaken for abnormalities.