is the Greulich-Pyle method sufficient for Turkish boys?
GROUND: The Greulich-Pyle (GP) Atlas of skeletal maturation has been prepared in white children who born between 1917 and 1942 in the USA, and is frequently used for assessment of skeletal maturity. In this study, we investigated whether or not the GP method is sufficient for Turkish children for the determination of the skeletal age. METHODS: Plain radiographies of left hands and wrists of 225 healthy boys between 7 and 17 years of age were taken. Pubic hair (PH) stages of boys were determined by using the Tanner criteria. Mean chronological ages and mean skeletal ages according to GP Atlas were compared for each age groups and each PH stage. RESULTS: Mean skeletal ages were delayed 0.61, 0.72, 0.54, 0.39, 0.25, 0.39, and 0.32 years than the mean chronological ages in the 7-13 years age groups, respectively, and advanced 0.13, 0.01, 0.89, and 0.52 years in the 14-17 years age groups. In PH stages 1, 2, and 3, mean skeletal ages were delayed 0.67, 0.51 and 0.40 years than the mean chro