Description of the stages of bone maturation by Bjork´s carpal radiography of children and adolescents in two groups of different ethnic ancestry

SUMMARYObjective: This study described the stagesof bone maturation according to Bjork´smethod through carpal radiography in childrenaged 8-15 year-old belonging to theindigenous population Ticuna (Amazonas)and the black population of Puerto Tejada(Cauca).Materials and methods: 72 children Ticunaindigenous community, located in Leticia(Amazonas) and 80 children of Africandescent in the municipality Puerto Tejada(Cauca) were studied. Children tested aged8 to 15 year-old. Children were transferredto a specialized radiology center where carpalradiographs of both hands were taken.The height and weight measurements wereobtained by using a digital scale and Conair® brand plastic tape, which was placed onthe wall. For analysis of bone maturation,was used the method of Bjork.Results: It was observed that there is asignificant relationship between bone developmentand sex (p=0.001), ie, that womenare more likely to have more advancedstages of bone maturation that men. Whenbony maturation stages according to ethnicgroups were related, they find that people ofAfrican descent have a higher bone developmentthat indigenous. It was evidencedthat children at older ages presented higherbone maturation stages.Conclusion: It was determined that theAfrican descent was significantly relatedto bone development (p=0.005), as comparedto children of Amerindian descent.In addition, it was determined that thereis a relation between bone developmentand women (p=0.001) and age groups(p=0.000). In general, when comparingthese two populations was found that theancestry, age and gender are factors thataffect bone development of children andshould be taken into account when startingany treatment.Key words: Carpogram, ethnic descent,indigenous, African bone maturation, Bjorkradiographic method/ descent.