Stature and age as factors in the growth of second metacarpal cortical bone in moderately malnourished children.

The association of stature and age with measures of second metacarpal cortical bone growth is investigated in a sample of 1586 radiographs taken from Guatemalan Ladino children aged 1-7 years in a setting of endemic mild-to-moderate malnutrition. For given stature, chronological age is positively associated with cortical thickness and cortical area and negatively associated with periosteal and medullary diameter. These different partial correlations are seen as evidence of different kinds of growth. Correlations of cortical bone variables with body size within a chronological age are shown to derive from the overall relationship between age, stature, and measures of cortical bone.