ABSTRACT
Estimation of age in individuals has received considerable attention in the forensic literature. The reduction of size of dental pulp cavity as a result of secondary dentin deposit with increasing age could be used as an indicator of age. This regression change, apart from morphological techniques, can also be analysed by radiological techniques. In 1995, Kvaal et al. reported a new method for estimating the chronological age of adults based on the relationship between age and the pulp size on periapical dental radiographs. In 2005, Paewinsky et al. reported specific regression formulae for dental age calculation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the reproducibility of the original method of Kvaal et al. on digital panoramic radiographs as well as to analyse the application of age-estimation formulae reported in the literature. Orthopantomograms (OPGs) of 100 patients aged between 14 and 60 years old from a private radiology department in Bilbao were selected at random. According to the reported technique, three mandibular teeth were evaluated in each orthopantomogram. The results showed that the method reported by Kvaal at al. cannot be applied to direct digital OPGs. The values of age estimation obtained using regression formulae analysed on digital images were so distant from the real ages that this method must be discouraged as being a reliable one to estimate age on a direct digital OPGs sample.
Subject(s)
Age Determination by Teeth/methods , Dental Pulp/anatomy & histology , Radiography, Dental, Digital , Radiography, Panoramic , Adolescent , Adult , Dental Pulp/diagnostic imaging , Female , Forensic Dentistry/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Regression Analysis , Reproducibility of Results , Tooth/anatomy & histology , Tooth/diagnostic imaging , Young AdultABSTRACT
Se presenta un estudio de revisión sobre las características generales de las fracturas del hioides en el contexto de la medicina forense. Junto con esta revisión, se incluye un estudio sobre el estado de fusión de las astas mayores con el cuerpo del hioides en una muestra de Ortopantomografías dentales digitales. La conclusión del trabajo es la de que el estado de fusión en la unión de las astas mayores del hioides con el cuerpo no puede predecirse por la edad o el sexo de un sujeto, ni tampoco puede presuponerse por este estado que vayan a existir o no fracturas de las astas mayores en casos de asfixia mecánica por compresión cervical. Se recomienda la práctica previa, en todos los casos de autopsias por asfixia mecánica con sospecha de compresión cervical de un estudio radiográfico del bloque cervical previo a la disección y, tras ésta, el análisis histopatológico del mismo para evitar errores de diagnóstico diferencial entre fracturas vitales y postmortales y ausencias de fusión del asta mayor con el cuerpo del hioides (AU)
We present a review of the medico legal literature on hyoid bone fractures. It is also included a research on bone fusion of major cornua and hyoid bone body. This research has been conducted in a sample of digital dental Orthopantomographies. This research suggests that it isn´t possible to predict the state of fusion of the major cornuain subjects of known sex and age. In cases of non union of major cornua it shouldn´t be supossed that fractures of the hyoid wont happen. In all cases of forensic autopsies when mechanical asphyxia is suspected it is recommended to perform a radiological study of cervical tissues prior to extraction and after extraction it should be performed hystopathological studies (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Hyoid Bone/injuries , Hyoid Bone , Forensic Medicine/methods , Radiography, Panoramic , Sex Factors , Age FactorsABSTRACT
Se presenta un estudio sobre una muestra de 123 radiografías digitales de tórax de sujetos entre 5 y 75 años de edad en las que se ha analizado el estado de osificación del cartílago costal de la primera costilla. En este estudio el estadio 0 de osificación suele asociarse con edades entre 5 y 19 años. Los estadios de osificación 2 y 3 se han asociado con edades mínimas de 24 años de edad. Autores previos (Michelson, 1934) ya habían indicado quela edad mínima a la que los sujetos estudiados presentaban un estadio 3 de osificación era de 21 años de edad. Se sugiere la posibilidad de integrar el estudio de la osificación de la primera costilla entre los datos diagnósticos manejados para la estimación forense de edad en sujetos vivos basada en las recomendaciones del AGFAD del año 2000 (AU)
The results of a research on ossification of first ribcartilage in a Spanish population are presented in this paper.Our sample is constituted by 123 digital x-rays studies hadmade up our sample. Minimum subject age has been 5years old and maximum age 75 years old. Stage 0 has been usually found out in subjects between 5 and 19 years of age. Stages 2 and 3 had been found out in subjects at a minimum age of 24 years old. Previous researches had pointed out that stage 3 could be observed in subjects at an age of at least 21 years of age. We suggest that the analysis of the ossification degree of the first rib cartilage could beuseful as a complementary method for the forensic estimation of age based on radiographic methods (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Age Determination by Skeleton/methods , Ribs , Cartilage , OsteogenesisABSTRACT
We present a review of a population of 114 immigrant Moroccan males for which an age estimation was requested. The subjects' real chronological age was confirmed by the Moroccan Embassy in Spain. The confirmed age range was between 13 and 25, with an average age of 18.1 years and a standard deviation of 2.03. The following tests were performed to arrive at the forensic estimation of age: general physical examination, carpus X-ray (Greulich and Pyle method) and dental orthopantomography to determine the degree of maturity of the third inferior molars (Demirjian's method). Carpus X-ray (skeletal age) was the most useful method, followed by Demirjian's method (dental age), as prediction factors of a chronological age of over or under 18. The combination of skeletal and dental age variables represented a significant improvement in the prediction of the chronological age of the subjects in this population, reducing the number of ethically unacceptable test errors to a minimum.
