ABSTRACT
Introduction: Age estimation in living as well as dead is a prerequisite for personal identification and it is increasingly important in criminal and civil matters. The growth of the human skeleton is of major importance for the aging process as the appearance of ossification centers and union of epiphysis relate to a fairly definite sequence and time table that makes skeletal maturity a reliable age indicator according to sex and ethnical differences1,2,3,.This present work is carried out to study the epiphyseal fusion of lower end of femur bone in relation to age, sex, physical development, and nutritional status. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Forensic medicine & Toxicology and Department of Radiology at B.J. Medical College & Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad during the year 2010-2012 on 160 subjects, 80 males and 80 femalesfrom the age-group of 12-20 years. Results: The epiphyseal fusion in both male and female at lower end of femur starts by the age of 13-14 years and complete by 17-18 years in male and 16-17 years in females.It is not found any effect of the dietary habit, height, and weight on the timing of epiphyseal fusion of lower end of femur. Conclusion: From our study we may conclude that the epiphyseal fusion in both male and female at lower end of femur starts by the same age and completes earlier in females than males.There is no effect of diet, height, and weight on epiphyseal fusion of lower end of femur.