title: [The comparative study on maturation of metacarpal bone in puberty children during their growth spurt period between urban and rural areas].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study maturation of the metacarpal bone in puberty children during their growth spurt period and its difference between urban and rural areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, 560 pupils/students were selected from primary and secondary schools in urban and rural areas each, with 35 children in each gender and age group, ranging 12 - 15 years of age for boys and 10 - 13 for girls. An X-ray film of left hand-wrist site was taken for each of them. Length and width of the metacarpal bone were measured and the metacarpal index was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increment of length of the metacarpal bone was great in puberty children both in urban and rural areas, (6.26 - 9.31) mm in boys and (5.28 - 9.12) mm in girls. Mean length of the metacarpal bone was longer in children of urban areas than that of rural ones, regardless of their age and gender. There was significant difference in mean length of the metacarpal bone between boys aged 14 - 15 years and girls aged 12. Mean width of the metacarpal bone in most children was wider in rural areas than that in urban ones. Mean metacarpal index in children was higher in urban areas than that in rural ones, with very statistical significance, except for girls of 13 year age group. The peak age of metacarpal maturation was 1 year earlier in urban areas than in rural ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maturation of the metacarpal bone was rapid during puberty growth spurt period, with relatively significant difference in urban and rural ares.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
authors.forename: Bao-lin
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui-ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bao-tian
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-jie
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cai-hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008663:Metacarpus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health