Age-related roentgenological peculiarities of the hand bones in patients with achondroplasia

The age-related roentgenological peculiarities of the hand bone shape and structure were studied as well as the dynamics of their ossification in 108 patients with achondroplasia at the age from 1,5 to 31 years taking into consideration their sex and age. The results obtained showed that longitudinal growth of bones in patients with achondroplasia is accompanied by changing the rates of ossification of growth points and the periods of bone anatomic shape formation. Thus, the delay of ossification point appearance in early childhood is replaced by acceleration of differentiation rates by the age of 8-9 years, and by 10-12 years bone age conforms to normal one. Subsequently, the fast rates of bone tissue maturation lead to the early closure of growth zones.