Anonymous wrote:Can anyone explain what an X-ray shows to predict growth? Somehow 4 kids but we never learned or experienced this.

A bone scan is typically an x-ray of the hand to examine the growth plates because that is an indicator of future growth. If the growth plates have not fused to the main bones (phalanges) it means there is still room to grow but if they have fused, that means the child/teen is typically done growing.

Can anyone explain what an X-ray shows to predict growth? Somehow 4 kids but we never learned or experienced this.

Anonymous wrote:My son is 16 and almost all his friends are under 5'10." I'm so curious if they'll stay these heights or keep growing. They seem unusually short---I'm thinking of at least a dozen boys.

It does seem unusual they would ALL be under 5'10". It seems there is such a wide range of height at that age. For example, DS' friends' height in his friend group probably range from 5'3" to about 6'3". They are all 14 or 15.

My son is 16 and almost all his friends are under 5'10." I'm so curious if they'll stay these heights or keep growing. They seem unusually short---I'm thinking of at least a dozen boys.

Anonymous wrote:

He must be Tanner 5 which indicates the end of puberty and most likely the end of growing except maybe an inch or two.

An inch or two means a lot to a 5'6" guy. My son is currently 5'6", and would LOVE to be 5'8".

One of my son’s best friends says he always adds an inch or two on when he tells people his height because they never see him without shoes.

My DS grew in college - probably through age 20. He is 6’4”

Anonymous wrote:

He must be Tanner 5 which indicates the end of puberty and most likely the end of growing except maybe an inch or two.

An inch or two means a lot to a 5'6" guy. My son is currently 5'6", and would LOVE to be 5'8".

An inch or two means a lot to most guys. DS is 5'11" and is desperate to hit 6' (Dad is 6'2")/

He must be Tanner 5 which indicates the end of puberty and most likely the end of growing except maybe an inch or two.

An inch or two means a lot to a 5'6" guy. My son is currently 5'6", and would LOVE to be 5'8".

Anonymous wrote: I feel like I constantly read here about boys who grew till 20, but the medical literature says most boys are done at 16

I'm always surprised by that literature, but only because it is so atypical for my family, where boys come home from college inches taller than they left. Anecdata bias!

If he said probably it might be his professional opinion based on the the physical showing his stage of development.

He must be Tanner 5 which indicates the end of puberty and most likely the end of growing except maybe an inch or two.

I think an x-ray can tell and not just a doctor opining. Things you can control-sleep and protein. This goes even more if your son takes add meds. Some kids take something called masking??protein to help.

That doesn't sound likely.....

Yes, they can.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our Dr. said he thinks my son is done growing at 15 - he's 5'6". I thought boys grew until 19 or 20? This is just based on an annual exam, no x-rays fyi.

Mine stopped at that age. He’s 18 now and still 5’5”.

NP here. Same for DS. Stopped growing at that age and also 18 now and 5’5”. Pediatrician has been saying for years that he’s done growing.

I'm a guy.

Broke my wrist at at 15. As a part of the x-rays, Doctor told me I was done growing.

Not a big deal, bc I was at 6 feet tall, but I thought I was going to be much taller