A consideration of factors underlying the selection of methods in the assessment of skeletal maturity

The assessment of skeletal maturity is basically a method. How one makes this assessment or what one does with the assessment is dictated by the research and/or clinical problem at hand. A variety of methods have been suggested for the assessment of skeletal maturity, although the two most commonly used are the inspectional and bone specific approaches. Several of the proposed methods are considered, with primary emphasis upon the problems, factors, and/or alternatives related to the choice of one method over another.