title: Childhood obesity and skeletal maturation assessed with Fishman's hand-wrist analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether increased body mass index is associated with accelerated skeletal maturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The skeletal ages of 107 children, aged 9 to 16 years, were determined by using Fishman's hand-wrist analysis. The difference between chronologic age and dental age was analyzed against body mass index, sex, and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean differences between chronologic and skeletal ages for normal weight, overweight, and obese subjects were 0.51 years, 0.44 years, and 1.00 years, respectively. Although there was a trend for obese subjects to have accelerated skeletal maturation compared with overweight and normal-weight subjects, the difference was not statistically significant. Skeletal age differences significantly decreased with increasing age. The mean skeletal age differences were 0.90 year for 9- to 13-year-olds and 0.26 year for 13- to 16-year-olds. Mean skeletal age did not differ significantly by sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight or obese children did not have significantly accelerated skeletal maturation after adjusting for age and sex.
authors: School of Dentistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky, USA.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Akridge
authors: Kelly K
authors: KK
authors: Hilgers
authors: Anibal M
authors: AM
authors: Silveira
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Scarfe
authors: James P
authors: JP
authors: Scheetz
authors: Denis F
authors: DF
authors: Kinane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050177:Overweight; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*