Secular trend in skeletal maturation in southern Chinese girls in Hong Kong.

Southern Chinese girls aged 11 years 9 months to 12 years 3 months in Hong Kong have a mean skeletal age of 12.57 years assessed from the left hand and wrist radiographs by the Greulich and Pyle Atlas Method. Significant secular trend of earlier skeletal maturation was demonstrated with p less than or equal to 0.001. Such difference was contributed by improved socio-economic, nutritional and socio-hygienic conditions during the past decades.