Skeletal maturity in 6-16-year-old Danish children assessed by the Tanner-Whitehouse-2 method

A study of skeletal maturity was conducted in 1100 healthy Danish children at ages 6-16 years. The children were selected in a random manner reflecting a cross-section of socio-economic levels in Denmark. Skeletal maturity was assessed according to the method of Tanner and co-workers (TW-2, 1975). The results confirmed that the TW-2 method is well suited for the evaluation of skeletal maturity in Danish children. The RUS-score, however, was about six months advanced in Danish boys aged 14-15 and girls aged 12-15. A similar pattern has been reported for other groups of Danish children by Helm (1979). The present results revealed no relationship between skeletal maturity and socio-economic class.