Childhood obesity and skeletal maturation assessed with Fishman's hand-wrist analysis.
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.
Akridge
Matthew
M
School of Dentistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky, USA.
Hilgers
Kelly K
KK
Silveira
Anibal M
AM
Scarfe
William
W
Scheetz
James P
JP
Kinane
Denis F
DF
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*