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RUS skeletal maturity of children in Beijing
K Ashizawa1, C Kumakura, X Zhou
1Institute of Human Living Sciences, Otsuma Women's University, Tokyo, Japan. akumi@otsuma.ac.jp
Insights
Beijing children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
Background:
- Skeletal maturity assessments are crucial for pediatric growth and development.
- Previous studies on radius-ulna-short bones (RUS) maturity in China excluded the capital city, Beijing.
- Including Beijing children is essential for a comprehensive understanding of skeletal maturity in China.
Purpose of the Study:
- Establish the RUS skeletal maturity standards for children in Beijing.
- Compare Beijing's RUS skeletal maturity with the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) and Tokyo standards.
- Investigate regional variations in skeletal maturity across China.
Main Methods:
- Hand and wrist radiographs were collected from 631 boys and 642 girls aged 6-18 in Beijing (1997).
- RUS skeletal maturity was assessed using the established Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method.
- Data analysis focused on age-specific maturity and comparisons with existing standards.
Main Results:
- Beijing children's RUS maturity closely aligned with TW3 standards until age 10 (girls) and 12 (boys).
- Girls reached full maturity at 15, boys at 16, consistent with Tokyo standards but boys matured 1 year earlier than TW3.
- Beijing children exhibited faster maturation than those in Harbin and Changsha, achieving full maturity one year sooner.
Conclusions:
- Beijing children's RUS maturity is comparable to Tokyo standards, with minor differences in adolescent boys.
- Significant variability in RUS maturation exists among Chinese children compared to TW3, Tokyo, and Beijing cohorts.
- This study provides vital data for skeletal maturity assessment in Chinese pediatric populations.
Background:
RUS (radius-ulna-short bones) maturity of children has been estimated in two provinces in China, but not in the capital. In order to obtain a clearer picture of skeletal maturity in China, it is indispensable to include children from Beijing in the study.
Aim:
The aims of this study were three-fold: (1) to establish RUS skeletal maturity of children in Beijing, (2) to compare RUS skeletal maturity in Beijing with the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) standard and the Tokyo standard, and (3) to examine regional variation in skeletal maturity in China.
Methods:
Hand and wrist radiographs of 631 boys and 642 girls, aged 6-18, were obtained in Beijing in 1997, and their RUS skeletal maturity was estimated using the TW3 method.
Results:
RUS maturity of the Beijing children was very similar to the TW3 standard until the age of 10 years in the girls, and the age of 12 years in the boys. The girls attained full maturity at 15 years of age, matching the TW3 and Tokyo standards, while the boys reached full maturity at the age of 16 years, as in Tokyo boys, but 1 year earlier than the TW3 standards. Beijing children showed progressively more rapid bone maturation than the Harbin and Changsha children, and attained full maturation 1 year earlier, in both girls and boys.
Conclusion:
The RUS maturity of the Beijing children was comparable with that of Tokyo children, except for the boys between 11 and 13 years. Variability of the RUS maturation among the Chinese children was greater than that found among the TW3, Tokyo and Beijing children.
