Skeletal maturity of Japanese children in Amami-Oshima Island.

This report describes the TW-2 skeletal maturity status of 723 Japanese children aged 7-16 years old in Naze, Amami-Oshima Island (southern island in Japan). Naze children showed retarded skeletal maturity scores under the age of 12 years for boys and eight years for girls, and thereafter they were advanced in relation to the British standard. In the comparison with Western Kyushu children Naze boys showed almost similar RUS maturity score throughout the age range studied; Naze girls had a similar RUS maturity pattern during the pre-adolescent period, but thereafter they showed advanced pattern. Marked advanced carpal maturation was observed in girls compared with that of Western Kyushu children. No socio-economic factor accounted for the advanced skeletal maturity status of Amami children in comparison with that of Western Kyushu children.