Appearance and fusion of ossification centers in the human skeleton
Hansman, C.F.
American Journal of Roentgenology, Radium Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine 88: 476-482
1962
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9580 PMID: 13904445 Document Number: 8296
Roentgenograms of the left extremity of healthy children are included in the longitudinal growth study of the Child Research Council. From these roentgenograms the ages at which the visible primary and secondary centers of the skeleton ossify and fuse to the long bones have been recorded. The age ranges over which the centers appear and fuse to their respective shafts are tabulated by sex as well as the median ages for ossification and fusion of these centers. One hundred two boys and los girls'made up the group of children in this report. No newborn roentgenograms were taken, but the ossification center in the epiphysis for the distal end of the femur was present in 100 per cent of children aged 2 months. Also on the 2 month roentgenograms the ossification center in the epiphysis for the proximal end of the tibia was present in ma per cent of girls and 98 per cent of boys and in the tarsal cuboid in 98 per cent of girls and 91 per cent of boys. Eighty-one per cent of 2 month old girls and 78 per cent of 2 month old boys had an ossified center for the head of the humerus. The ages at which ossification centers appeared in boys became progressively older as compared to girls until adolescence, when the last centers to ossify and the first centers to fuse did so 2 to 3 years later in boys than in girls. The order in which centers ossify and fuse varied little between sexes. Fusion of the three centers, SEPTEMBER, 1962 capitellum, trochlea and lateral epicondyle, at the distal end of the humerus took place as 3 separate centers, as 2 centers, or as a single unit in this group. The epiphyses for the head of the humerus fused in all cases before uniting to the shaft. Comparison of Child Research Council data with those in the literature shows fairly close agreement between ages of ossification but less agreement between ages of fusion of epiphyses to diaphyses.
Document emailed within 1 workday
