The Uniform Pattern of Growth and Skeletal Maturation during the Human Adolescent Growth Spurt.

Humans are one of the few species undergoing an adolescent growth spurt. Because children enter the spurt at different ages making age a poor maturity measure, longitudinal studies are necessary to identify the growth patterns and identify commonalities in adolescent growth. The standard maturity determinant, peak height velocity (PHV) timing, is difficult to estimate in individuals due to diurnal, postural, and measurement variation.

Using the Sauvegrain method to predict peak height velocity in boys and girls.

Background: Correlating peak height velocity (PHV) with assessments of skeletal maturity has important implications in the treatment of scoliosis and other pediatric orthopaedic disorders. This study aims to compare the appearance of the elbow to the PHV in both boys and girls.

Methods: We selected 20 children who participated in the Brush Inquiry, a comprehensive study of the development of healthy children.