Vertebral bone maturation in children 8 -14 year-old at orthodontic clinics of University Colleges of Colombia (UNICOC) based in Cali

Objective: Determine the stages of vertebral bone maturation in children 8-14 year-old belonging to Colombian mestizo population at the Valle del Cauca. Materials and methods: Cervical bone maturation is an effective method to determine the pubertal growth spurting children, this allows to evaluate the ideal time to iniciate orthodontic or orthopedic treatment. In 130 lateral radiographs beloning to children 8 to14 year-old from records of the graduate orthodontic clinic of the university colleges of Cali Colombia were analized using cervical bone maturation according to the Baccetti modified method. Results: We found that children in this age range had their pubertal growth spurt at 12to 14 year of age. Conclusion: The cervical bone maturation stage (CVS3) corresponding to the pubertal growth peak in the age group12 to14 yearold is reached first by the girls. Key words: Vertebrae cervical, orthodontics, radiography, cervical bone maturation.