Auxology in Transition: From Anthropometric Growth Assessment to Algorithmic Evaluation of Skeletal Maturation in Contemporary Clinical Practice

Abstract

Auxology is the scientific discipline dedicated to the study of human growth and development, with particular emphasis on the patterns, timing, and biological regulation of physical growth from infancy through adolescence. It integrates medical, biological, anthropological, and clinical perspectives to examine both normal and pathological growth processes, including somatic development, skeletal maturation, and pubertal progression. Historically, Auxology evolved from early anthropometric observations and the emergence of statistical reasoning, which established growth as a measurable and variable biological phenomenon. The discovery of X-rays in the late nineteenth century represented a major methodological advance, enabling direct assessment of skeletal maturation and leading to the development of standardized bone age methods, such as the Greulich and Pyle atlas and the Tanner–Whitehouse system. In recent decades, digital imaging and computational approaches, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, have further enhanced the accuracy and reproducibility of growth assessment. Today, auxology constitutes a fundamental scientific framework in pediatric medicine, epidemiology, and public health for understanding human growth as a dynamic, multifactorial, and context-dependent process.