SKELETAL MATURATION OF THE HAND OF GHANAIAN CHILDREN: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GHANAIAN AND JAPANESE CHILDREN

A total of 2,192 children (1,082 boys, 1,110 girls), with age-range between 0.5–19 years, were X-rayed on the lower left hand and wrist and anthropometrically examined at the Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra in 1977 for collection of data on skeletal and physical growth and development, i. e. the measurement of height, weight, head and chest circumference. The grades of skeletal maturation (0–5 points for round carpal bones and 0–10 points for long bones (epyphysis) have been determined, and the mean curves also assessed. Detailed results of the skeletal variants and the comparison of bone age with physical development will be published later by the experts. Ghanaian boys, and girls, mean curves have similar patterns, except for carpal bone groups, where scores increased rapidly at early and later ages, but increased slowly between ages of 5–9 years. Conversely, the carpal bone score increased speed at a constant rate. The result confirmed more rapid skeletal maturation in Ghanaian girls than in boys, similar to that of Japanese and Caucasians. Mean bone age acceleration (1–6) years in Ghanaian children is more pronounced than in Japanese children. After the 12th year, bone age acceleration of Ghanaian children is a bit retarded and takes a longer time to reach maturity in the hand than in Japanese children.