Analysis of limb segments length and body proportion of southern Chinese children and adolescents.

<bold>Aim: </bold>This cross-sectional study was designed to characterize by age the ratios of limb segments length to height and extremities-trunk ratio and body proportions of southern Chinese children.<bold>Methods: </bold>Data were collected from students (n = 4715) from five school, aged 6-17 years, in the city of Chongqing. Their standing height, sitting height, arm span, forearm length, upper arm length, leg length, lower leg length, and ratios of extremities to trunk length were determined.<bold>Results: </bold>Sitting height, forearm length, upper arm length, arm span, and lower leg length were highly correlated with standing height (r > 0.9; P < 0.05). The ratio of extremities to trunk increased till about 13 years of age for both genders.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The length of extremities and their ratio to sitting height reflect regular changes of growth in Chinese children as their age, and limb segments length is highly correlated with height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]