Correlation between Serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3 Levels, and Hand-Wrist Radiographs in Determining Skeletal Maturity

The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between serum levels of insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and hand-wrist radiographs using a skeletal maturity indicator (SMI) and the middle phalanx of the third finger (MP3). Hand-wrist radiographs and blood samples from 205 patients aged 7 - 17 years were retrospectively analyzed by two dentists using the SMI stages, MP3 stages, and serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels. Serum IGF-1 levels were highest at the SMI 6 - 8 and MP3 - G stage and lowest at the SMI 1 - 3 and MP3 - F stage (p < 0.0001). Serum IGFBP-3 levels were highest at the SMI 9 - 10 and MP3 - I stage and lowest at the SMI 1 - 3 and MP3 - FG stage (p = 0.010, 0.030). As a result of Pearson correlation analysis, a relatively high correlation was found between skeletal maturity using the SMI and MP3 stages and serum IGF-1 levels (r = 0.698, 0.622, p < 0.0001). According to the results of this study, serum IGF-1 levels can be used as an auxiliary measure to evaluate the skeletal maturity of children and adolescents in dentistry. The range from the mean serum IGF-1 level of 472 µg/L in SMI 6 stage to the mean IGF-1 level of 510.63 µg/L in MP3 G stage could be considered as the peak height velocity in clinical practice.