[Estimation of bone maturation and calculations of prediction of adult height as tools for the evaluation of growth disorders (author's transl)].

The methods of estimation of bone maturation (Greulich & Pyle. Tanner et al.) and the possibilities for the calculation of future adult height (Bayley & Pinneau, Roche et al., Tanner et al.) are briefly described and their advantages and disadvantages in normal children and in children with growth disorders are discussed. In normal children, all methods provide valuable results, but there are small differences of precision depending on whether the pubertal development is early, average, or late. In pathological conditions, however, as e.g. in precocious puberty or in girls with Turner syndrome, the methods of Roche et al. and of Tanner et al. may overestimate adult height considerably, while that Bayley & Pinneau remains reasonably accurate. A computerized system, which facilitates the complicated and time-consuming calculations is briefly presented.