Pubertal growth spurt refers to the pronounced acceleration of growth that occurs during puberty. It is important for orthodontic treatment to be timed at the onset of pubertal growth spurt for treatment to be most effective. Pubertal growth spurt can be predicted through several assessments including physical development by measuring height and weight changes over time, sexual maturity attainment, skeletal maturity using hand and wrist radiographs, dental development stages, psychological development, and blood or urine analyses to detect growth hormones and bone metabolism products.

1. PUBERTAL GROWTH SPURT.

2. What is pubertal growth spurt?
Pronounced acceleration of growth associated with
puberty.
Height and weight plotted against the age. (Black)
Amount of change plotted against the age. (Red)

3. Why is pubertal growth spurt important in
orthodontics?
Orthodontic treatment in growing child include
supervision, guidance and correction of the growing and
mature dentofacial structures (growth modification treatment)
through the stimulation and redirection of the functional forces
within the craniofacial complex.
The effectiveness of this type of treatment would be
maximal only if the treatment is timed at the onset of growth
spurt.
Therefore prediction of pubertal growth is important for
the correct timing and prognosis of treatment.

4. How can you predict pubertal growth spurt?
• Assessment of physical development.
Standing height.
Longitudinal recordings of the height and weight
increments.
• Assessment of sexual maturity.
Attainment of sexual maturity is accompanied by a spurt
in growth.
- Onset of menstruation or menarchy.
- Appearance of moustache, axillary, hairs.
- Hoarseness of voice.

5. Assessment of skeletal maturity.
Hand wrist radiographs.
Ossification
of the carpal and metacarpal bones, cunate and hermate
bones and the appearance of the sesamoid bone.
Ossification of the middle
phalanx of third fingerMP3
Dental development.
Root development of the mandibular canine.
Eruption and calcification time.
Dentition types.
Psychological development.
Chronologic age.

8. Blood analysis.
Presence of growth hormones.
Urine analysis.
Presence of the products of bone metabolism –
pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline..