Age estimation based on computed tomography exploration: a combined method.
Age-at-death
Bone mineral density
Forensic anthropology
Pubic symphysis
Suchey–Brooks method
Virtual anthropology
Journal
International journal of legal medicine
ISSN: 1437-1596
Titre abrégé: Int J Legal Med
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 9101456
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Nov 2021
Nov 2021
Historique:
received:
11
03
2021
accepted:
06
07
2021
pubmed:
31
7
2021
medline:
9
11
2021
entrez:
30
7
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Despite an extensive number of existing methods, age estimation of human remains is still an unsolved matter in the field of forensic anthropology, especially when it comes to mature adults. The specific aim of this work was to propose a combined method for age estimation, for forensic purposes, by coupling the Suchey-Brooks method and the measure of the pubic bone density. For this purpose, we used an independent test sample comprising 339 CT scans of living individuals aged 15 to 99 years old. Measurement of bone density and staging according to the Suchey-Brooks phases were performed, followed by estimation of ages based on a combined method and an existing virtual reference sample. Results highlighted a significant negative correlation between bone density and age. Good accuracy was obtained for the measurement of pubic bone density for age estimation of men and women, especially concerning mature adults, with an absolute error ranging from 9 to 16 years for all individuals. The authors propose a practical combined method consisting of, first, allocating phases according to the scannographic approach of the Suchey-Brooks method. For phases I to IV, the age estimation is given using the Suchey-Brooks method. For phases V to VI, the pubic bone density measurement is used. Further study will be needed to assess the reproducibility of these results on cadavers and dry bones, as the post-mortem process could interfere with the measurement of mineral bone density.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34328552
doi: 10.1007/s00414-021-02666-0
pii: 10.1007/s00414-021-02666-0
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
2447-2455Informations de copyright
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Références
Cunha E, Baccino E, Martrille L et al (2009) The problem of aging human remains and living individuals: a review. Forensic Sci Int 193:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.09.008
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.09.008
pubmed: 19879075
Baccino E, Ubelaker DH, Hayek LA, Zerilli A (1999) Evaluation of seven methods of estimating age at death from mature human skeletal remains. J Forensic Sci 44:931–936
doi: 10.1520/JFS12019J
Konigsberg LW, Herrmann NP, Wescott DJ, Kimmerle EH (2008) Estimation and evidence in forensic anthropology: age-at-death. J Forensic Sci 53:541–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00710.x
doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00710.x
pubmed: 18471197
Brooks S, Suchey JM (1990) Skeletal age determination based on the os pubis: A comparison of the Acsádi-Nemeskéri and Suchey-Brooks methods. Hum Evol 5(3):227–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02437238
doi: 10.1007/BF02437238
Todd TW (1920) Age changes in the pubic bone. I. The male white pubis. Am J Phys Anthropol 3:285–334. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330030301
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330030301
Fanton L, Gustin M-P, Paultre U et al (2010) Critical study of observation of the sternal end of the right 4th rib. J Forensic Sci 55:467–472. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01279.x
doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01279.x
pubmed: 20141560
Savall F, Rérolle C, Hérin F et al (2016) Reliability of the Suchey-Brooks method for a French contemporary population. Forensic Sci Int 266:586.e1-586.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.04.030
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.04.030
Schmitt A (2004) Age-at-death assessment using the os pubis and the auricular surface of the ilium: a test on an identified Asian sample. Int J Osteoarchaeol 14:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.693
doi: 10.1002/oa.693
McKern T, Stewart TD (1957) Skeletal age changes in young American males, analyzed from the standpoint of age identification. Technical report EP-45, quartermaster research & development center, environmental protection research division, viii, pp. 179, 87 figures, 52 tables
Villa C, Buckberry J, Cattaneo C, Lynnerup N (2013) Technical note: reliability of Suchey-Brooks and Buckberry-Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations from CT and laser scans. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:158–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22254
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22254
pubmed: 23595646
Wade A, Nelson A, Garvin G, Holdsworth DW (2011) Preliminary radiological assessment of age-related change in the trabecular structure of the human os pubis. J Forensic Sci 56:312–319. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01643.x
doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01643.x
pubmed: 21198627
Villa C, Buckberry J, Cattaneo C et al (2015) Quantitative analysis of the morphological changes of the pubic symphyseal face and the auricular surface and implications for age at death estimation. J Forensic Sci 60:556–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12689
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.12689
pubmed: 25613520
Dedouit F, Savall F, Mokrane F-Z et al (2014) Virtual anthropology and forensic identification using multidetector CT. Br J Radiol 87:20130468. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20130468
doi: 10.1259/bjr.20130468
pubmed: 24234584
pmcid: 4067023
Pasquier E, Pernot DSM, L, Burdin V, et al (1999) Determination of age at death: assessment of an algorithm of age prediction using numerical three-dimensional CT data from pubic bones. Am J Phys Anthropol 108:261–268. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199903)108:3%3c261::AID-AJPA2%3e3.0.CO;2-B
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199903)108:3<261::AID-AJPA2>3.0.CO;2-B
pubmed: 10096678
Navega D, d’Oliveira CJ, Cunha E, Curate F (2018) DXAGE: A new method for age at death estimation based on femoral bone mineral density and artificial neural networks. J Forensic Sci 63:497–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13582
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13582
pubmed: 28851106
Dubourg O, Faruch-Bilfeld M, Telmon N et al (2019) Correlation between pubic bone mineral density and age from a computed tomography sample. Forensic Sci Int 298:345–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.03.018
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.03.018
pubmed: 30927722
Virtama P (1969) Radiographic measurements of cortical bone ; variations in a normal population between 1 and 90 years of age, Acta radiologica supplementum 293, Stockholm, Acta Radiol pp. 268, 15 figures, 108 tables
Mays S (2015) The effect of factors other than age upon skeletal age indicators in the adult. Ann Hum Biol 42:332–341. https://doi.org/10.3109/03014460.2015.1044470
doi: 10.3109/03014460.2015.1044470
pubmed: 26203766
Baccino E, Sinfield L, Colomb S et al (2014) Technical note: the two step procedure (TSP) for the determination of age at death of adult human remains in forensic cases. Forensic Sci Int 244:247–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.09.005
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.09.005
pubmed: 25282468
Savall F, Hérin F, Peyron PA et al (2018) Age estimation at death using pubic bone analysis of a virtual reference sample. Int J Legal Med 132:609–615. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1656-9
doi: 10.1007/s00414-017-1656-9
pubmed: 28770383
Curate F, Albuquerque A, Cunha EM (2013) Age at death estimation using bone densitometry: testing the Fernández Castillo and López Ruiz method in two documented skeletal samples from Portugal. Forensic Sci Int 226:296.e1-296.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.12.002
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.12.002
Castillo RF, CLópez Ruiz Mdel (2011) Assessment of age and sex by means of DXA bone densitometry: application in forensic anthropology. Forensic Sci Int 209:53–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.12.008
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.12.008
pubmed: 21227605
Schreiber JJ, Anderson PA, Rosas HG et al (2011) Hounsfield Units for assessing bone mineral density and strength: a tool for osteoporosis management. J Bone Jt Surg Am 93:1057–1063. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.J.00160
doi: 10.2106/JBJS.J.00160
Schreiber JJ, Anderson PA, Hsu WK (2014) Use of computed tomography for assessing bone mineral density. Neurosurg Focus 37:E4. https://doi.org/10.3171/2014.5.FOCUS1483
doi: 10.3171/2014.5.FOCUS1483
pubmed: 24981903
Anderson PA, Polly DW, Binkley NC, Pickhardt PJ (2018) Clinical use of opportunistic computed tomography screening for osteoporosis. J Bone Jt Surg Am 100:2073–2081. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.17.01376
doi: 10.2106/JBJS.17.01376
Lee S, Chung CK, Oh SH, Park SB (2013) Correlation between bone mineral density measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and Hounsfield Units measured by diagnostic CT in lumbar spine. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 54:384. https://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2013.54.5.384
doi: 10.3340/jkns.2013.54.5.384
pubmed: 24379944
pmcid: 3873350
Egger C, Vaucher P, Doenz F et al (2012) Development and validation of a postmortem radiological alteration index: the RA-Index. Int J Legal Med 126:559–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-012-0686-6
doi: 10.1007/s00414-012-0686-6
pubmed: 22402872
Bell L, Skinner M, Jones S (1996) The speed of post mortem change to the human skeleton and its taphonomic significance. Forensic Sci Int 82:129–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-0738(96)01984-6
doi: 10.1016/0379-0738(96)01984-6
pubmed: 8885373
Zhu B-L, Ishikawa T, Quan L et al (2005) Evaluation of postmortem serum calcium and magnesium levels in relation to the causes of death in forensic autopsy. Forensic Sci Int 155:18–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.10.016
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.10.016
pubmed: 16216707
Hoppa RD (2000) Population variation in osteological aging criteria: an example from the pubic symphysis. Am J Phys Anthropol 111:185–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(200002)111:2%3c185::AID-AJPA5%3e3.0.CO;2-4
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(200002)111:2<185::AID-AJPA5>3.0.CO;2-4
pubmed: 10640946
Telmon N, Gaston A, Chemla P et al (2005) Application of the Suchey-Brooks method to three-dimensional imaging of the pubic symphysis. J Forensic Sci 50:507–512
doi: 10.1520/JFS2004326
Bocquet-Appel JP, Masset C (1996) Paleodemography: expectancy and false hope. Am J Phys Anthropol 99:571–583. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199604)99:4%3c571::AID-AJPA4%3e3.0.CO;2-X
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199604)99:4<571::AID-AJPA4>3.0.CO;2-X
pubmed: 8779339
Konigsberg LW, Frankenberg SR (1992) Estimation of age structure in anthropological demography. Am J Phys Anthropol 89:235–256. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330890208
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330890208
pubmed: 1443096