Skeletal maturity of Japanese children in Western Kyushu

Abstract

This paper describes the skeletal maturity status of Japanese children in Western Kyushu and its variation within Japanese populations. Hand-wrist skeletal maturity was assessed by the Tanner-Whitehouse (1975) (TW2) method from radiographs of 500 boys and 485 girls aged from 4 to 15 years. Western Kyushu children showed retarded skeletal maturity scores (RUS, carpals, and 20-bone) under the age of 12 years for boys and 10 years for girls, and thereafter they were advanced in relation to the British standard. Within Japanese populations the present sample showed delayed maturity compared to Tokyo children, but was close to that of Sapporo children throughout the age range studied. However, the expected effect of secular trend suggested skeletal maturity more advanced for Tokyo children and somewhat advanced one for Sapporo children compared to that of Western Kyushu children.