Table 2.

Main longitudinal studies on the hand and wrist maturation (HWM) method and mandibular growth peak in untreated subjects without major malocclusion.

Study	Sample origin and other information	Sample size and sex distribution/age range	Hand and wrist maturation assessment	Main mandibular parameter(s)	Statistical analysis	Main results	Clinical implications according to the authors
Tofani 1972 [65]	Broadbent-Bolton growth study	20 F/9–18 yrs	Onset of fusion of the first and third finger distal phalanges	Ar-Pog, Ar-Go, Go-Pog	Differences between pre- and postpubertal and correlation analyses	Age of onset of fusion of distal phalanges and that for mandibular growth peak were significantly correlated	Onset of fusion of distal phalanges are good predictors of mandibular growth peak
Grave 1973 [34]	Australian aborigines	36 F, 52 M/8–18 yrs	Custom method	Ar-Pog	Correlation analyses	Some moderate significant correlations were seen for females and males	The HWM method may be useful in clinical practice
Fishman 1982 [35]	Denver Child Research Study and own practice	206 F, 196 M/0–25 yrs	Eleven-stage method (SMIs) according to Fishman [35] (Figure 1)	Ar-Gn	Differences among stages	Maximum growth increments were seen during stages 5–7	The SMIs provide a key to identification of maturation level with important clinical applications
Mellion et al. 2013 [53]	Broadbent-Bolton growth study (a)	50 F, 50 M/8 and 10 yrs at least for females and males, respectively, with 6 to 11 annual recordings	Eleven-stage method (SMIs) according to Fishman [35] (Figure 1)	Co-Gn	Actual age at onset and peak in mandibular growth used as the gold standards against which key ages inferred from SMIs method was compared	The SMIs showed in males and females a moderately strong or weaker relationships, respectively, to the timing for the onset and peak in mandibular growth	The SMIs appear to offer the best indication that peak growth velocity has been reached

Studies using maturation method based on ossification events (stages) are represented. Ar, Articulare; Pog, Pogonion; Go, Gonion; Gn, Gnathion; Co, Condylion; SMIs, skeletal maturation indicators (according to Fishman [35]). Note. a: it may include some Class II subjects.