Skeletal maturity in adolescence: evaluating bone development and age metrics

Pinheiro, João; Ribeiro, Luís; Teixeira, Diana; Magalhães Ribeiro, Anabela de; Coelho-e-Silva, Manuel João

Publication

Skeletal maturity in adolescence: evaluating bone development and age metrics

2025-04-10Journal article

dc.contributor.author	Pinheiro, João
dc.contributor.author	Ribeiro, Luís
dc.contributor.author	Teixeira, Diana
dc.contributor.author	Magalhães Ribeiro, Anabela de
dc.contributor.author	Coelho-e-Silva, Manuel João
dc.date.accessioned	2025-05-21T09:57:30Z
dc.date.available	2025-05-21T09:57:30Z
dc.date.issued	2025-04-10
dc.description.abstract	Background/Objectives: Bone maturation and development are crucial for growth and development, especially in children and adolescents; however, some qualitative methods, such as Greulich & Pyle, do not provide accurate data. Our aim is to verify whether skeletal age (SA) can predict and correlate with bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), and body composition (BC). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 115 male adolescents (ages 12.1-15.8 years). Skeletal age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method, while BMC, BMD, and BC were measured using full-body DXA. Anthropometric data, including height and body mass, were also recorded. Statistical analysis included descriptive methods and bivariate correlation coefficients. Results: SA was significantly correlated with stature (r = 0.598, p = 0.001) and body mass (r = 0.517, p = 0.001), showing a stronger association than chronological age (CA) for these variables. Body composition variables, including lean mass (LM) (r = 0.521, p = 0.001) and fat tissue (FT) (r = 0.522, p = 0.001), also showed a stronger correlation with SA than CA. However, associations between SA and bone parameters were weaker: BMC (r = 0.103, p = 0.275) and BMD (r = 0.161, p = 0.086) did not reach statistical significance. When stratified by SA/CA tertiles, individuals in the highest tertile exhibited slightly greater BMC (1439 +/- 108.32 g) and BMD (1.028 +/- 0.127 g/cm2), though without a significant effect. These findings suggest a dynamic but complex relationship between skeletal age and bone development. Conclusions: SA demonstrates a stronger association with anthropometric and body composition variables than CA, highlighting its potential as a predictor of growth used in conjunction with LM and FM. However, its relationship with BMD and BMC remains inconclusive, warranting further longitudinal research, considering limitations regarding nutritional intake.	eng
dc.description.sponsorship	CE/FCDEF-UC/00172016
dc.identifier.doi	10.3390/diagnostics15080970
dc.identifier.issn	2075-4418
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/27139
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.peerreviewed	yes
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Diagnostics
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject	Bone age
dc.subject	Chronological age
dc.subject	Bone mineral content
dc.subject	Bone mineral density
dc.subject	Body composition
dc.title	Skeletal maturity in adolescence: evaluating bone development and age metrics	eng
dc.type	journal article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.issue	8
oaire.citation.startPage	970
oaire.citation.title	Diagnostics
oaire.citation.volume	15
oaire.version	http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyName	Pinheiro
person.familyName	Ribeiro
person.familyName	Magalhães Ribeiro
person.givenName	João
person.givenName	Luís
person.givenName	Anabela de
person.identifier.ciencia-id	9616-AF73-75DE
person.identifier.ciencia-id	8615-CACD-D292
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0001-7019-8313
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0003-0220-4691
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0002-2227-1851
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	89f68cc4-7965-4be2-8026-7dd722ef1c83