[Osteogenesis in healthy children and in children with growth retardation depending on body constitution]

Somatometric and radiographic study of bones of the hand and of the distal forearm was performed in 258 healthy children and adolescents (148 boys and 110 girls) aged 11-17 years and in 115 children (84 boys and 31 girl) aged 13-16 years which were under the observation due to growth retardation. It was shown that within the groups of the same age children with various somatometric characteristics possessed different levels of skeletal (and therefore, biological) maturity. In the group of healthy children, different variants of skeletal maturation were established, which corresponded to the constitutionally stipulated rates of somatic development including accelerated, average and retarded. In children with growth retardation, the third (retarded) variant of somatic development rate was prevalent, which was also found in the group of healthy children and was accompanied with its peculiar osteogenesis characteristics. In the other cases, when such abnormalities of skeletal maturation as asymmetry in the appearance of ossification centers and synostoses as well as the presence of pseudoepiphyses, were observed, growth retardation could be caused by some endocrine pathology. Thus, the radiographic study enables the differentiated approach to the evaluation of the morphological status of children and adolescents and permits to avoid the unjustified administration of hormonal treatment.