IntroductionThis study was conducted with the aim of adapting the methods developed by Martins
and Sakima to assess skeletal maturation by cervical vertebrae in the pubertal
growth spurt (PGS) curve. It also aimed to test the reliability and agreement
between those methods and the method of hand and wrist radiograph when compared
two by two and all together.MethodsThe sample comprised 72 radiographs, with 36 lateral radiographs of the head and
36 hand-wrist radiographs of 36 subjects with Down's syndrome (DS), 13 female and
23 male, aged between 8 years and 6 months and 18 years and 7 months, with an
average age of 13 years and 10 months.Results and ConclusionsResults revealed that adapting the methods developed by Martins and Sakima to
assess skeletal maturation by cervical vertebrae in the curve of PGS is practical
and useful in determining the stage of growth and development of individuals. The
stages of maturation evaluated by cervical vertebrae and ossification centers
observed in radiographs of the hand and wrist were considered reliable, with
excellent level of agreement between the methods by Hassel and Farman as well as
Baccetti, Franchi and McNamara Jr and Martins and Sakima. Additionally, results
revealed an agreement that ranged between reasonable to good for the three methods
used to assess the skeletal maturation, showing statistical significance.