Relationships between mandibular canine calcification stages and skeletal maturity.

Hand wrist radiographs and dental panoramic radiographs of 200 boys and 215 girls were assessed to determine the relationship between the developmental stages of the mandibular canine and skeletal maturity indicators of the pubertal growth spurt. Chi-square and Kendall's tau statistics demonstrated significant (P < 0.001) relationships between skeletal maturity indicators. Associations between canine development and skeletal maturity ranged from 0.53 to 0.85. Most children having attained canine stage G showed the presence of the adductor sesamoid (81%), capping of the diaphysis of the third middle phalanx (77%), and capping of the fifth proximal phalanx (87%). Growth reference data for American children suggest that stage G occurred approximately 0.4 years and 1.3 years before peak height velocity for girls and boys, respectively. It is indicated that canine calcification could serve as a useful tool for evaluating childrens' skeletal maturation and, by association, somatic maturity.