Skeletal maturation in Australian Aborigines

Abstract

Skeletal ages of Aboriginal children living on a Commonwealth Government settlement at Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory, were assessed by rating standardized radiographs of the hand and wrist according to the Greulich-Pyle atlas. On average, skeletal ages lagged behind chronological ages, more so in boys than in girls. The retardation relative to North American standards peaked at a value of 6 to 10 months between ages 7 to 14 years in boys. For most age groups in girls the retardation in skeletal development did not exceed 6 months. Limitations in the use of Greulich-Pyle reference standards to assess skeletal development in children of a different ethnic group are discussed. However, in the absence of standards derived from Aboriginal children, ratings based on the atlas standards provide reliable estimates of skeletal development, particularly if appropriate adjustments are made to the age scale as indicated by the present findings.