Tanner scale

Tanner scale
SynonymsTanner stages
PurposeDefines physical measurements of development

The Tanner scale (also known as the Tanner stages or sexual maturity rating (SMR)) is a scale of physical development as pre-pubescent children transition into adolescence, and then adulthood. The scale defines physical measurements of development based on external primary and secondary sex characteristics, such as the size of the breasts, length of the penis, volume of the testes, and growth of pubic hair. This scale was first quantified in 1969 by James Tanner, a British pediatrician, after a two-decade-long study following the physical changes in girls undergoing puberty.[1][2][3][4]

Tanner scale
Illustration for males
Illustration for females

Due to natural variation, individuals pass through the Tanner stages at different rates, depending in particular on the timing of puberty. Among researchers who study puberty, the Tanner scale is commonly considered the "gold standard" for assessing pubertal status when it is conducted by a trained medical examiner.[5] In HIV treatment, the Tanner scale is used to determine which regimen to follow for pediatric or adolescent patients on antiretroviral therapy (adult, adolescent, or pediatric guidelines).[6] The Tanner scale has also been used in forensics to determine aging, but its usage has decreased due to lack of reliability.[7]

  1. ^ Tanner's stages at Who Named It?
  2. ^ Marshall WA, Tanner JM (February 1970). "Variations in the pattern of pubertal changes in boys". Arch. Dis. Child. 45 (239): 13–23. doi:10.1136/adc.45.239.13. PMC 2020414. PMID 5440182.
  3. ^ Marshall WA, Tanner JM (June 1969). "Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls". Arch. Dis. Child. 44 (235): 291–303. doi:10.1136/adc.44.235.291. PMC 2020314. PMID 5785179.
  4. ^ Emmanuel, Mickey; Bokor, Brooke R. (2019), "Tanner Stages", StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, PMID 29262142, retrieved 2019-08-01
  5. ^ Dorn LD, Biro FM (February 2011). "Puberty and Its Measurement: A Decade in Review". Journal of Research on Adolescence. 21 (1): 180–195. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00722.x.
  6. ^ "Adolescents and Young Adults with HIV Considerations for Antiretroviral Use in Special Patient Populations Adult and Adolescent ARV". AIDSinfo. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  7. ^ Encyclopedia of forensic and legal medicine. Payne-James, Jason,, Byard, Roger W. (Second ed.). Amsterdam, Netherlands. 2015-09-29. ISBN 9780128000557. OCLC 924663619.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)