Ages of Epiphysial Union at the Elbow and Wrist Joints Amongst Indian Girls *Rearranged by Editor.

Lucknow, at the suggestion of the second who was at one time reader in forensic medicine at the Lucknow University. The paper is complementary to that of Lall and Nat (1934). The object of the investigation was to ascertain the ages of the union of epiphyses of Indian girls, as it is commonly believed that they unite at an earlier age than do those of European girls. The skiagraphic method was thought to be preferable to the purely anatomical method of the study of the epiphysial union of long bones, as investigations could be carried out on a larger number of normal subjects whose ages were definitely known. We had to face great difficulties in obtaining subjects for this work, on account of the purdah system, and also of the prejudices of parents. However, we managed to enlist the co-operation of three local girls' schools to supply the material, and we examined 125 girls of different communities, varying in age from 10 to 18 years. The total number of skiagrams taken was 250, both antero-posterior and lateral views being taken to make sure of the unions. It is difficult to define in a skiagram the point at which union may be said to be complete, bu for our purpose an epiphysis was considered as definitely united only if the epiphysial space was, in bony architecture and density, ind1?" tinguishable from the epiphysis and diaphysis in its neighbourhood. Cases of recent union, where a thin line was still seen in the place of epipw' sial cartilage, were classified as marginal cases. We have divided the girls into eight agegroups of 10-11, 11-12, 12-13, 13-14, 14-15, 15-1?' 16-17, and 17-18 years.