In the pediatric endocrine child growth and development specialist clinic, the most commonly used test is bone age determination (left hand finger + wrist orthopantomogram), why do we need to take bone age film, I believe many parents have certain questions, we must first understand what is bone age? 1.What is bone age? Bone age is the abbreviation for skeletal age, which is a developmental age obtained by comparing the actual degree of bone development of a child with the standard degree of development. To a large extent, bone age represents the true developmental level of children, so it is more accurate to use bone age to determine the maturity of the human body than the actual age. 2.What is the relationship between bone age and height? There is an extremely close interrelationship between bone age and child height, and there is a high correlation between height at each age and height in adulthood. Therefore, based on the current bone age, it is possible to predict the margin and space for continued possible growth. 3.Why do doctors often measure the bone age of children? The changes in human bone development are basically similar, and the development process of each bone has continuity and stages. Bones at different stages have different morphological characteristics, therefore, bone age assessment can more accurately reflect the growth and development level and maturity of an individual. It not only determines the biological age of a child, but also provides an early understanding of a child’s growth potential and the trend of sexual maturity through bone age. Bone age can also predict the adult height of children, and the determination of bone age is also very helpful in the diagnosis of some pediatric endocrine diseases. It is also a great guide for the treatment of some patients with short stature. 4.What is the relationship between bone age and age and developmental maturity? The relationship between bone age and actual age can be shown by the bone age difference. If the difference between bone age and life age is within ±1 year, it is called normal development. If the difference between bone age and life age is >1 year, it is called early development (referred to as precocious maturity). If the difference between bone age and life age is <-1 year, it is called backward development (abbreviated as: late maturity). 5.When does the epiphysis of adolescents usually close? Generally girls are at the age of 16 or 17 and boys are at the age of 18 or 19. Girls develop fastest at the age of 11-15 during puberty and boys develop fastest at the age of 12-16. Puberty is the fastest growing period in a lifetime, and spring is the fastest growing period in a year. 6.If the epiphysis is already closed, can there be any way to open it again? First of all, it should be clear whether you have been consulted and diagnosed by a specialist in a regular hospital. If your child's epiphysis is really closed after the doctor's diagnosis, then there is no way to open the closed epiphysis again. Do not believe in false advertisements or folk remedies to avoid being deceived and causing unnecessary losses.