[Bone maturation in scoliosis patients, comparison of the degrees of ossification of the iliac crest and carpal bone age].

The usefulness of the degrees of apophyseal ossification of the iliac crest and bone age as an index of bone maturation was compared in patients with scoliosis. Comparisons of Risser sign, bone age, and chronological age in 85 patients with idiopathic scoliosis showed a close correlation between Risser sign and bone age (R = 0.75, p less than 0.001). Scoliosis progressed after the appearance of type IV Risser sign in more patients than after the appearance of type V sign or a bone age of 16 years. There was no difference between the progress rate of scoliosis after the appearance of type V Risser sign and that after the bone age of 16 years. Risser V is defined by different signs according to the investigators. Some use the time of complete apophyseal fusion of the iliac crest, but others use the beginning of fusion. Therefore, bone age is thought to be a more useful index of bone maturation for a prospect of progress in scoliosis.