Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Urban HLIgg, D.D.S., Odont. Dr.,* and John Taranger, Dr. Med.**
Malmii and Giiteborg, Sweden 1
The pubertal growth spurt and dental, skeletal, and pubertal development have been investigated in a prospective
longitudinal study of 212 randomly selected Swedish children by means of maturation level indicators suitable for
use in clinical orthodontics. The sample was examined from birth to adulthood and included a representative
proportion of early-, average-, and late-maturing subjects. The number of dropouts and missing examinations was
low and was allowed for in the statistical analysis. The results may therefore be considered representative for
Swedish children. There was a 2-year sex difference in age at the beginning, peak, and end of the pubertal
growth spurt in standing height. The individual variation was about 6 years at each event in both sexes. Dental
development in relation to the pubertal growth spurt was more advanced in boys than in girls, but the individual
variation was great in both sexes. Skeletal development at the beginning and peak was more advanced in girls
than in boys, whereas at the end of the pubertal growth spurt the skeletal development was more advanced in
boys. Dental development, determined by means of dental emergence stages (DES), was not useful as an
indicator of the pubertal growth spurt. The peak and end-but not the beginning-of the pubertal growth spurt
could be assessed by means of indicators taken from the skeletal development of the hand and wrist and the
pubertal development (menarche and voice change).
Key words: Orthodontics,. Maturity indicator, pubertal growth spurt, dental development, skeletal
development, pubertal development
L 8 _
MM/YEAR4
loo-
GIRLS-U -
SOYS A
SO-
Jt , , , , , I , , , , , , , , , , t
10 15 20
YEARS
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
Fig. 4. Attainment of indicators of dental and pubertal develop- Fig. 5. Attainment of indicators of skeletal development in re-
ment in relation to the occurrence of the pubertal growth events lation to the occurrence of the pubertal growth events in girls
in girls and boyd (cumulative percent). Coincidence is marked. and boys (cumulative percent). Coincidence is marked. @ =
q = ONSET; n = PHV; q = END; i? = pubertal growth. ONSET; n = PHV; q END; m = pubertal growth.
TableII. The sequence of pubertal growth events* and specified maturity indicators* according to the
mean ages (given in years within brackets)
Girls Boys
Table III. Probit analysis of age (in years) at occurrence of pubertal growth spurt and maturity
indicators in Swedish girls and boys
Adjustment to
probit line Sex
difference
Sex Mean SD CH12 df Range in years
Pubertal development was assessed from 10 to 18 Probit analysis3 has been used to calculate mean
years by determining the occurrence of menarche in values and standard deviations of age at attainment
girls and the voice change in boys2J (Table I). of the pubertal growth events and maturation indi-
Statistical analysis. Calculations have been per- caters.
formed on an IBM 3031 computer using the statistical The age of a subject at the attainment of any puber-
analysis system of SAS (SAS Users Guide, 1979 tal growth event and specified maturation indicator was
edition). defined as the midpoint of the age interval during which
Table IV. Correlation coefficients between ages at occurrence of pubertal growth events and various
dental emergence stages in girls (N = 78-80) and boys (N = 100-105)
Dental emergence .smgrs
Pubertal -
growth spurt Sex DES I DES 2 DES 3 DES 4 DES MI DES M2 DES M3 DES M4 DES M5
ONSET F 0.18 0.23* 0.33** 0.27* 0.25% 0.25* 0.30** 0.22 0.13
M -0.07 -0.04 -0.05 0.12 0.08 0.16 0.04 0.10 0.15
PHV F 0.23* 0.34** 0.29** 0.21* 0.21* 0.21 0.26* 0.23* 0.01
M -0.03 0.03 0.16 0.14 0.07 0.14 0.08 0.13 0.16
END F 0.23* 0.28* 0.31** 0.35** 0.28* 0.26* 0.34** 0.31** -0.23
M 0.01 0.04 0.16 0.1 I 0.01 0.07 0.01 0.07 0.25
aNineteen girls and twenty-six boys were included in the analysis of DES M5.
*p <o.os; **p CO.01.
Table V. Correlation coefficient between ages at occurrence of pubertal growth events and various
skeletal stages in girls and boys
Skeletal stage
Pubertal
spurt Sex S MP3-F MP3-FG MP3-G MP3-H MP3-I DP3-I R-I R-N R-J
ONSET G 0.56 (75) 0.30 (74) 0.61 (74) 0.61 (68) 0.60 (69) 0.64 (70) 0.70 (67) 0.60 (66) 0.56 (60) OS.5 (54)
B 0.53 (88) 0.28 (85) 0.67 (85) 0.66 (87) 0.70 (77) 0.73 (83) 0.70 (78) 0.54 (69) 0.39 (56) 0.25 (45)
PHV G 0.63 (75) 0.50 (73) 0.75 (74) 0.79 (68) 0.80 (69) 0.79 (70) 0.86 (67) 0.76 (66) 0.77 (60) 0.75 (54)
B 0.73 (87) 0.41 (83) 0.81 (84) 0.83 (86) 0.85 (77) 0.87 (83) 0.85 (78) 0.74 (69) 0.55 (56) 0.38 (45)
END G 0.69 (74) 0.50 (73) 0.76 (74) 0.79 (68) 0.81 (69) 0.74 (70) 0.83 (67) 0.81 (66) 0.82 (60) 0.73 (54)
B 0.71 (86) 0.46 (83) 0.77 (83) 0.82 (86) 0.85 (77) 0.83 (83) 0.85 (76) 0.64 (69) 0.50 (56) 0.48 (45)
Table VI. Correlation coefficients between (Fig. 3). On average, the pubertal growth spurt began
ages at occurrence of pubertal growth (ONSET) at 10.0 and 12.1 years and ended (END) at
events and various indicators of puberty 14.8 and 17.1 years in girls and boys, respectively
in girls (N =79-80) and boys (N = 91-98) (Tables II and III). In both sexes peak height velocity
(PHV) occurred 2 years after ONSET, that is, at 12.0
Pubertal spurt
years in girls and 14.1 years in boys.
Event Sex ONSET PHV END In both sexes the early maturers reached END be-
Menarche F 0.60*** 0.17*** 0.76*** fore the late maturers had reached ONSET (Fig. 3).
Pubertal voice M 0.64*** 0.82*** 0.78*** The earliest-maturing girl began the pubertal growth
Male voice M 0.55*** 0.73*** 0.75*** spurt and reached PHV about 6 years before the last-
maturing girl and about 8 years before the last-matur-
***p < 0.001.
ing boy.
the change occurred. The individual ages were used in
Dental development and the pubertal growth spurt
the correlation analyses ad modum Pearson.
The age distribution of the attainment of the matu- The association between the attainment of the den-
ration indicators in relation to the occurrence of the tal emergence stages and the pubertal growth events
pubertal growth events was described as a cumulative was found to be statistically significant only in girls and
percentage (Figs. 4 and 5). In the calculations of cumu- was then only weak (TabIe IV).
lative percentage the same principles that were used in The sex differences for ages at the pubertal growth
the probit analysis were applied. events were larger than for the dental emergence stages
(Tables II and III). The dental development was more
RESULTS advanced in boys than in girls at all three pubertal
The pubertal growth spurt growth events (Fig. 4). Irrespective of sex, a subject
There were large differences in the ages at the pu- could be in any of the dental emergence stages, DES
bertal growth events between and within the sexes l-4 and DES M2-M4, at the beginning of the pubertal
Volume 82 Maturation indicators and pubertal growth spurt 305
Number 4
growth spurt (ONSET). At peak height velocity (PHV) MP3-G was attained at or 1 year after PHV by
more than 90 percent of the boys but only about 60 about 90 percent of the subjects.
percent of the girls were in DES 4 and DES M4. At the MP3-H was attained after PHV but before END by
end of the pubertal growth spurt (END) all subjects but practically all boys and about 90 percent of the girls.
one girl were in DES 4. At END some boys (19 per- MP3-I was attained before or at END in all subjects
cent) and a few girls (3 percent) were in DES M5. except a few girls.
The dental emergence stages were not useful as Distal third phalanx
indicators of the pubertal growth spurt, but the follow- DP3-I was attained during the deceleration period
ing findings may be of clinical interest (Fig. 4): of the pubertal growth spurt (PHV-END) by all sub-
DES 2 was attained/passed by practically all subjects at jects. Two of the girls (3 percent) but none of the boys
ONSET. attained DP3-I at PHV.
DES 3 was attained/passed by all subjects at PHV. Radius
DES 4 was attained before END by all boys, and at R-I was attained 1 year before or at END by about
END by practically all girls. 80 percent of the girls and about 90 percent of the boys
DES M3 was attained/passed by practically all boys at R-IJ and R-J were not attained before END by any
PHV. subject.
DES M4 was attained/passed by all boys before and by
Pubertal development and the pubertal
all girls at END.
DES M5 was not attained before END by any girl. growth spurt
The association between the indicators of pubertal
Skeletal development and the pubertal development (menarche in girls and voice changes in
growth spurt boys) and the pubertal growth events was close in both
The association between the attainment of the sexes (Table VI). According to the mean ages (Tables
skeletal stages and peak height velocity (PHV) and the II and III), menarche (M) occurred 1.1 years after peak
end of the spurt (END) was closer than that between height velocity (PHV). The pubertal voice (PV) was
skeletal development and the beginning of the spurt attained 0.2 years before PHV, and the male voice
(ONSET) in both sexes (Table V). The sex difference (MV) 0.9 years after PHV (Tables II and III).
for the attainment of early-occurring skeletal stages was One girl (1 percent) had a bleeding before PHV, but
greater and for late-occurring skeletal stages less than it was probably not a menstrual bleeding.*s According-
that for the pubertal growth events (Tables II and III). ly, probably no girl had reached menarche before PHV.
Skeletal development at ONSET and PHV was All girls had experienced menarche at the end of the
more advanced in girls than in boys, whereas at END pubertal growth spurt (END) (Fig. 4). Menarche oc-
the skeletal development was more advanced in boys curred during the same age interval as PHV in 16 per-
(Fig. 5). At ONSET about 40 percent of the girls and cent of the girls and in the same age interval as END in
25 percent of the boys had an ossified ulnar sesamoid 5 percent of the girls (Fig. 4).
(S). At PHV about 90 percent of the subjects were in In practically all boys (99 percent) the complete
either stage MPS-FG or stage MP3-G. At END about change from prepubertal to male voice occurred during
95 percent of the boys and 80 percent of the girls were the pubertal growth spurt (ONSET-END). Only one
in one of the three radius stages (R-I, R-IJ, and R-J). boy developed a pubertal voice 1 year before the be-
The skeletal stages were useful as indicators of the ginning of the spurt (ONSET), and he was one of three
pubertal growth spurt, and the following findings are of in whom a pubertal voice was registered at three con-
clinical interest (Fig. 5): secutive examinations. 2s In more than 60 percent the
Sesamoid pubertal voice was attained in the same age interval as
S was usually (girls 86 percent, boys 92 percent) PHV. Male voice was attained during the deceleration
attained during the acceleration period of the pubertal period of the spurt (PHV-END) in all boys but two (2
growth spurt (ONSET-PHV). All subjects except one percent), who had a male voice before PHV.
boy had an ossified sesamoid (S) at PHV. In 20 percent At ONSET only a few boys had experienced a voice
of the girls and in more than 30 percent of the boys S change (Fig. 4). About 85 percent of the boys had
was attained in the same annual interval as PHV. pubertal or male voice at PHV. All boys had a male
Middle third phalanx voice at END.
MP3-F was attained before ONSET by about 40
percent of the subjects and at PHV by the last subjects. DISCUSSION
MP3-FG was attained 1 year before or at PHV by A study of pubertal growth and maturation requires
about 90 percent of the subjects. a representative sample of prepubertal subjects who are
306 Hiig,g and Turanger
followed to adulthood. This is mandatory in order to increase in growth rate is too small to he clinically
include both early and late maturers. Even if the obser- discernible in some individuals.:
vation period is sufficient, there is a great risk that the This study showed a sex difference of 2 years in age
inevitable dropout, usually large and increasing with at the beginning (ONSET), peak (PHV), and end
time, will bias the proportions of early, average, and (END) of the pubertal growth spurt (Fig. 4). Within
late maturers included in the statistics. Moreover, the each sex the range for each pubertal growth event was
sample should be representative of the population in about 6 years. A similar range for age at PHV in both
which the calculated reference values are to be used. sexes has been reported in another Swedish study.:%:
Previous reports on associations between various The early maturers of each sex have completed the
maturation indicators and pubertal growth are based on pubertal growth spurt before the late maturers have
small numbers of subjects with adequate records. The begun the spurt. Accordingly, the timing of orthodontic
subjects have been selected from a considerably larger treatment dependent upon on influenced by the change
sample, such as persons included in a growth study or a in growth rate during puberty cannot be planned solely
group of orthodontic patients. Even if the primary on the basis of the patients chronologic age.
sample is selected at random, there is a risk that the In this study dental development was assessed by
dropout is not random. Owing to the sampling proce- means of dental emergence stages (DES) (Table I), a
dures, the representativeness of previous reports is un- simple grouping of emerged teeth which is suitable for
certain. treatment planning in orthodontics.
The present sample is representative of a Swedish The association between the indicators of dental
urban community. 20,21The dropouts are few, and their development and pubertal growth was weak in both
growth pattern did not differ from that of the total sexes, which is in agreement with previous reports., lo,34
sample. 21 Owing to the few dropouts and the small Consequently, indicators of dental development are not
number of missing examinations, the pubertal growth useful for evaluating pubertal growth in ciinical orth-
events and maturation indicators were determined in a odontics.
very large proportion of the original sample. It is evident from the ranges for the dental emer-
As shown by the ranges given for the pubertal gence stages in relation to age at the pubertal growth
growth events and the maturation indicators (Table III), event? (Fig. 4) that orthodontic treatment based solely
both early and late maturers of both sexes were in- on dental maturity will be carried out in periods of
cluded. The bias in the statistics was reduced by means greatly varying growth rate in both sexes.
of information obtained from the dropouts, subjects Skeletal development of the hand and wrist was as-
with missing examinations, and subjects who had not sessed in four bones chosen according to Bjiirk3 (Fig.
attained a late-occurring maturation indicator at the last 5). A greater number of epiphyseal stages were used in
programmed examination. this study in order to obtain indicators of shorter dura-
The individual unsmoothed incremental curves of tion, which are more informative than those of long
height were based on annual increments calculated be- duration.3 The reproducibility of the indicators was in
tween specified target ages.21 It should be pointed out general accord with the findings in other studies.2
that height was recorded in millimeters, usually in the Reliable indicators taken from skeletal development
morning, by a trained examiner using the stretching-up were found for the peak (PHV) and end (END) but not
technique. 23 Because of these measures, the obtained for the beginning (ONSET) of the pubertal growth spurt.
increments were reliable and valid; that is, the influence This may be due to the fact that the estimation of ONSET
of measuring errors and fluctuations in height during is less reliable than that of PHV and END (Fig. 1).
the day was reduced, and the influence of seasonal Furthermore, during the end of the prepubertal period
variations in growth rate was eliminated.31 the radiographic changes in form of the bones of the
The individual unsmoothed incremental curves of hand and wrist are small.2R There is, therefore, a lack of
height were analyzed by visual inspection, a method indicators of skeletal development during this period,
suitable for orthodontics.3 The clinical use of individual and the available indicators are of long duration.
curves of pubertal growth in height assumes that the The ossification of the ulnar sesamoid (S) was not a
individuals are examined before the beginning of the reliable indicator of the beginning of the pubertal
pubertal growth spurt and during a sufficiently long growth in either sex. In this study some subjects of both
period of time. To obtain reliable estimate of pubertal sexes attained S before the beginning of the pubertal
growth often can only be made at PHV or after, be- growth spurt (ONSET), while 20 percent of the girls
cause the acceleration period is too short and/or the and more than 30 percent of the boys did not attain S
Volume 82 Maturation indicators and pubertal growth spurt 307
Number 4
until peak height velocity (PHV) (Fig. 6). It has been decreasing but has certainly not yet reached the level of
stated that S does not occur later than PHV.3a lo, 12*lg the end of the pubertal growth spurt (END).
However, occasional individuals attain S just after Boys experienced the complete change from pre-
PHV14, 18,2s (Table VI). In clinical context this means pubertal to male voice when they were in the pubertal
that if S is not attained, neither is PHV. If S is jusf growth spurt (Fig. 4). Consequently, the pubertal
attained, most individuals are in the acceleration period voice, which can last as little as a few months or as long
of the pubertal growth spurt. as several years,38 is a reliable indicator of the pubertal
According to Bjiirk,3 the pubertal growth spurt ends growth spurt. Pubertal voice was attained close to
with the complete fusion of the third distal phalanx PHV, and male voice was attained at PHV or after.
(DP3-I). Schouboels reported that DP3-I in some girls Consequently, a male voice indicates that the boy has
coincided with PHV, which was also found in this attained or passed PHV.
study. In girls DP3-I is therefore not an absolute indi- In clinical work girls can thus be asked from the age
cator that PHV has been passed. of 10 years whether or not menarche has occurred, and
In this study the beginning (ONSET) and the end in boys assessment of the voice can be done from the
(END) of the pubertal growth spurt were defined on the age of 11 years. The use of these indicators will reduce
incremental curve in each subject.26 Like PHV, these the need for radiographs of the hand and wrist.
two growth events (ONSET and END) will represent The analysis in this study was based on age at at-
approximately the same level of maturity of growth in tainment of the various maturation indicators, which
dl individuals. Since assessment of the skeletal devel- requires serial data. In clinical work, however, evalua-
opment of the hand and wrist only permits reliable es- tion of maturity must often be done from a single
timates of PHV and later growth events,2s radiographs examination. Despite this, useful information on puber-
of the hand and wrist are of limited value before the tal growth can be obtained by determining whether or
earliest age at which PHV can occur, that is, at about not a certain maturation indicator has been attained (for
9.5 years in girls and 11.5 years in boys. example, S, ossification of the ulnar sesamoid). More
Pubertal development was assessed by means of information can be obtained if the maturation indicator
indicators suitable in the orthodontic context-men- is one of a series of discrete stages (for instance,
arche in girls and voice change in boys. For ob- MP3-F . . . MP3-I), especially if the indicators are of
vious reasons, maturation indicators which require brief duration. In clinical work the individual will be
physical examination of secondary sex characters are assessedas being within a certain stage, which has been
not applicable in clinical orthodontics. In this study attained earlier. The maturation indicators of skeletal
menarche and voice change were determined by a pro- and pubertal development are of limited value for pre-
spective method, which is the most reliable method. diction of the pubertal growth, since those indicators
The reliability of voice assessment has been ques- that were closely related to the pubertal growth events
tioned.36 However, it has been reported that boys are occurred close in time or after the pubertal growth
quite certain about the status of their voices when they events.
were asked.37 The findings in this study25 support the The findings in this study2z-2g are in general agree-
view that the voice changes can be reliably assessed ment with other studies. The differences in some of the
clinically. results toward the longitudinal studies were presumably
Several investigatorslO> 17, ls have found that due to differences in sampling procedures, methods of
menarche never occurred before peak height velocity registration, and/or methods of statistical analysis
(PHV). In this study one girl had a bleeding before rather than to population differences. In this study the
PHV,2j and similar findings have been reported from analysis of pubertal growth and maturation was based
another Swedish study. I69 33 Furthermore, some girls, on reliable and valid data obtained from a relatively
particularly those who are maturing much earlier or large sample. The results given in this article are con-
later than their peers, may deliberately give false an- sidered representative for Swedish children.
swers when they are asked whether or not menarche has Orthodontic treatment based solely on dental matu-
occurred. In clinical orthodontics it is not possible to rity and/or chronologic age will be carried out in peri-
verify data on menarche against other signs of puberty, ods of highly varying growth rate in both sexes, owing
since that would require a physical examination. Men- to the wide variation in timing of the pubertal growth
arche is therefore a highly reliable but not an absolute spurt. The use of longitudinal records of height requires
indicator that PHV has been reached or passed. If that certain practical conditions be met. Despite this, it
menarche has not occurred, growth rate may be is often not possible to determine the period of maxi-
mum growth before it is reached or passed. Longitudi- growth \purt in body height, Tandlaegebladet 75: 1223.123.1.
nal or cross-sectional evaluation of maturity by means 1971.
13. Bowden. B. D.: Epiphyseal change5 in the handiwrlzr area a\
of pubertal development and of skeletal development of
indicators of adolescent stage, Aust. Orthod. J. 4: 87- 104, 1976.
the hand and wrist will give reliable information as to 14. Grave. K. c., and Brown. T.: Skeletal ossification and the ado-
whether or not a certain period of pubertal growth has lescent growth spurt. AM. J. ORTHOD. 69: 61 l-619. 1976.
been attained. 15. Houston. W. J. B., Miller, J. C., and Tanner, J. M.: Prediction
of the timing of the adolescent growth spurt from ossification
CONCLUSIONS events in hand-wrist films. Ann. Hum. Biol. 6: 145-152. 1979
16. Lindgren, G.: Growth of schoolchildren with early. average and
There was a 2-year sex difference in age at the late ages of peak height velocity. Br. J. Orthod. 5:2.53-267,
beginning, peak, and end of the pubertal growth spurt. 1978.
The individual variation was about 6 years at each 17. Marshall, W. A., and Tanner, J. M.: Variations in pattern of
pubertal changes in girls, Arch. Dis. Child. 44: 291-303, 1969.
growth event in both sexes.
18. Onat, T., and Numan-Cebeci, E.: Sesamoid bones of the hand:
Dental development, assessed by means of dental Relationship to growth, skeletal and sexual development in girls.
emergence stages, was not useful as an indicator of the Hum. Biol. 48: 659-676, 1976.
pubertal growth spurt. 19. Schouboe, K.: Skeletal modning hos danske piger omkring
Dental development in relation to the pubertal pubcrteten, Tandlaegebladet 77: 869-876, 1973.
20. Karlberg, P., Klackenberg, G., Engstriim, I., Klackenberg-
growth spurt was more advanced in boys than in
Larsson, L., Lichtenstein, H., Stenson, J., and Svennberg, I.:
girls, but the individual variation was great in both The development of children in a Swedish urban community,
sexes. Acta Paediatr. Stand., Suppl. 187, pp. 9-47, 1968.
The peak and end, but not the beginning, of the 21. Karlbcrg, P., Taranger, J., Engstriim, I., Karlberg, J., Land-
pubertal growth spurt could be determined by means of strGm, T., Lichtenstein, H., Lindstriim, B.. and Svennberg-
Redegren, I.: Physical growth from birth to 16 years and lon-
indicators taken from the skeletal development of the
gitudinal outcome of the study during the same age period, Acta
hand and wrist and the pubertal development (menar- Paediatr. Stand., Suppl. 258, pp. 7-76, 1976.
the and voice change), which are suitable for use in 22 Hggg, U .: The pubertal growth spurt and maturity indicators of
clinical orthodontics. dental, skeletal, and pubertal development: A prospective lon-
gitudinal study of Swedish urban children, Thesis. Malmii,
Sweden, 1980.
23 Weiner, J. S., and Lourie, J. A.: Human biology: A guide to
REFERENCE8 field methods, Oxford, 1969, Blackwell Scientific Publications,
I. Marshall, W. A.: Puberty. In Falkner, F., and Tanner, J. M.: p. 8.
Human growth, London, 1978, Bail&e Tindall, vol. 2, pp. 24 Taranger, J., Bruning, D., Karlberg, P., Landstriim, T., and
141-181. Lindstrtim, B.: Skeletal development from birth to 7 years, Acta
2. Ahlgren, J.: Aktivatorterapi, Lund, 1980, Studentlitteratur. Paediatr. Stand., Suppl. 258, pp. 98-108, 1976.
3. BjGrk, A.: Timing of interceptive orthodontic measures based on 25 Higg, U., and Taranger, J.: Menarche and voice change as
stages ofmaturation, Trans. Eur. Orthod. Sot. 48: 61-74, 1972. indicators of the pubertal growth spurt, Acta Odontol. Stand.
4. Graber, T. M.: Current orthodontic concepts and techniques, 38: 179-186, 1980.
Philadelphia, 1969, W. B. Saunders Company, pp. l-55. 26 Taranger, J., and Hagg, U.: The timing and duration of adoles-
5. Grave, K. G.: Physiological indicators in orthodontic diagnosis cent growth. Acta Odontol. Stand. 38: 57-67, 1980.
and treatment planning, Aust. Orthod. J. 5: 114-122, 1978. 27 HHgg, U., and Taranger, J.: Dental emergence stages and the
6. Bergersen, E. 0.: The male adolescent facial growth spurt: Its pubertal growth spurt, ActaOdontol. Stand. 39: 298-306, 1981.
prediction and relation to skeletal maturation, Angle Orthod. 42: 28 Tanner, J. M., Whitehouse, R. H., Marshall, W. A., Healy,
3 19-336, 1972. M. J. R.. and Goldstein. H.: Assessment of skeletal maturity
7. Bjark, A.: Variations in growth pattern of human mandible: and prediction of adult height (TW2 Method), London, 1975,
Longitudinal radiographic study by the implant method, J. Dent. Academic Press, 99 pp.
Res. 42: 400-411, 1963. 29 Hagg, I-J., and Taranger, J.: Skeletal stages of the hand and wrist
8. Bjiirk, A.: Sutural growth of the upper face studied by the im- as indicators of the pubertal growth spurt, Acta Odontol. Stand.
plant method, Trans. Eur. Orthod. Sot. 42: 49-65, 1966. 38: 187-200, 1980.
9. Hunter, C. J.: The correlation of facial growth with body height 30 Finney. D. J.: Probit analysis, ed. 2, Cambridge, 1952. Cam-
and skeletal maturation at adolescence, Angle Orthod. 36: bridge University Press.
44-53, 1966. 31 Healy, M. J. R.: Statistics of growth standards. In Falkner, F.,
10. Bjiirk, A., and Helm, S.: Prediction of the age of maximum and Tanner, J. M.: Human growth, London, 1978, BailliCre
pubertal growth in body height, Angle Orthod. 37: 134- 143, Tindall, vol. I, pp. 169-181.
1967. 32 Large, R. H., Gasser, T., Prader, A., Stuetzle, W., and Huber,
1 I. Bjijrk, A., Krebs, A., and Solow, B.: A method for epidemiol- P. J.: Analysis of the adolescent growth spurt using smoothing
ogical registration of malocclusion, Acta Odontol. Stand. 22: spline functions, Ann. Hum. Biol. 5: 421-434, 1978.
27-40, 1964. 33 Lindgren, G.: Pubertet och psykosocial status I. Report No. 4.
12. Helm, S., Siersbaek-Nielsen, S., Skieller, V., and Bj(irk, A.: Stockholm, 1975, Department of Educational Research.
Skeletal maturation of the hand in relation to maximum pubertal 34. Demirjian. A.: Dentition. In Falkner. F., and Tanner, J. M.:
Volume 82 Maturation indicators and pubertal growth spurt 309
Number 4
Human Growth, London, 1978, Bailliere Tindall, vol. 2, pp. relation to height, sexual development and social conditions,
413-444. Acta Paediatr. Stand., Suppl. 185, 1968.
35. Roche, A. F.: Bone growth and maturation. In Falkner, F., and 38. Hollien, H., and Hollien, P. A.: Cross-cultural study of adoles-
Tanner, J. M.: Human Growth, London, 1978, Bailliere Tin- cent voice changes in European males, Proceedings of the
dall, vol. 2, pp. 317-355. Seventh International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Mouton,
36. Tanner, J. M.: Foetus into man, London, 1978, Open Books. Paris, 1972, pp. 332-337.
37. Andersen. E.: Skeletal maturation of Danish school children in