Comparison of Body Mass Index Percentile with Two Different Types of Skeletal Maturity Indicators: An Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Skeletal maturational status is widely used in actively growing patients to determine the timing and modalities of orthodontic treatment. Previous investigations have found obese children to have an advanced skeletal age. Aim: To compare and correlate Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile with two different types of skeletal maturity indicators: Cervical Vertebral Maturity Indicators (CVMI) and hand wrist radiographic method (SMI) in orthodontic patients. Materials and Methods: This observational study was drawn from the subjects registered for orthodontic treatment between January 2011 to December 2015 at Narayana Dental College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. A sample of 250 subjects (137 males, 113 females) aged between 7-19 years with different stages of skeletal maturation were selected from the existing treatment records. The total subjects were segregated into four groups, correlating BMI percentile stages with that of CVMI and SMI. Analysis of the data is done by SPSS software. Spearman's correlation coefficient test to assess the correlation between BMI percentile Groups and skeletal maturity indicators. Results: The median distribution in case of obese groups was found to be centred around Stage 3 of SMI, Stage 3 and Stage 4 of CVMI indicating early skeletal maturity. There was a significant correlation between the CVMI and SMI in each of the BMI percentile Groups. Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between weight status as defined by BMI percentile and skeletal maturation stages. However, the difference in strength of correlation of BMI in relation to SMI and CVMI is not significant.

Keywords

• adiposity
• gender
• growth
• orthodontic