title: DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: On the need for national-, racial-, or ethnic-specific standards for the assessment of bone maturation.
abstract: In an attempt to overcome ethnic and racial differences in skeletal maturation, the use of ethnic-specific standards has been suggested. Do we need such standards? Based on a fundamental understanding of phenotypic plasticity and an individual's ability to respond to environmental cues, the author argues that we do not need ethnic-specific standards for bone maturity. I suggest that we use a unified international standard of bone maturity for comparing the health, nutrition, and quality of life of all children, regardless of their race, nationality, and ethnicity.
authors.affiliation: The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of MedicineTechnion - Israel Institute of Technology, 9 Efron Street, Haifa 31096, Israel rprzeev@tx.technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Ze'ev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hochberg
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*