RESUMO
The evaluation of growth potency can be done with many physiologic indicators. It has well known that skeletal maturity has a close relation with both sexual maturity and somatic maturity, but the correlation between skeletal maturity and dental maturity was believed to be less certain. But, recent studies show that specific teeth. including lower canines, present close correlations with skeletal maturity, So, in this study, we studide hand-wrist X-ray films and orthopantomagrams of 387 Korean boys and girls aged from 7 to 15; the purpose was to determine skeletal and dental maturity, and to find out a new method to estimate individual skeletal maturity using multiple-regression model, without the help of hand-wrist X-ray film. As a result of this study, followings were observed. 1. The following multiple-regression model can estimate skeletal maturity index (SMI) with 84% accuracy, and regression coefficient of chronologic age, sex and lower canine show statistical significance. SMI = 0.60 x chronolngic age - 1.67 x sex** + 0.88 x lower canine* - 0.55 x lower 2nd molar* - 10.3 * : mean age corresponding each developing atage, ** : male = 1, female = 0 2. The followering multiple-regression model can estimate skeletal age with 87% of accuracy, and regression coefficient of chronologic age, sex and lower canine show statistical significance. Skeletal age = 0.75 x chronolngic age - 0.55 x sex** + 0.71 x lower canine* - 0.09 x lower 2nd molar* - 5.77 * : mean age corresponding each developing atage, ** : male = 1, femal = 0