Age estimation by estimation of cranial suture and pubic symphysis using computed tomography

• Project/Area Number: 26870097
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Legal medicine; Applied anthropology
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Chiba Fumiko 千葉大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任助教 (90724972)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,380,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥780,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 法医学 / 年齢推定 / 死後CT / 恥骨結合 / 法医人類学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Age estimation is one of the most valuable methods used in the identification of human remains. Macroscopic assessment of bone has been used for age estimation, however, it also presents one of the greatest challenges particularly in the case of adult remains. Over the past few years, the use of computed tomography (CT) has been developed in forensic medicine, and there are several reports of forensic anthropological assessment by using CT images. In this study, we observed pubic symphysis and indicated that the pubic bone length of parallel division at the center of the pubic symphysis tend to increase with age at death. Linear regression analysis was performed to estimate age at death, however, it was not superior to traditional method. We also tried to observe palatine sutures, which are difficult to observe in regular forensic autopsy.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Age estimation by quantitative features of pubic symphysis using multidetector computed tomography. (2014)
  • Author(s): Chiba F, Makino Y, Motomura A, Inokuchi G, Torimitsu S, Ishii N, Kubo Y, Abe H, Sakuma A, Nagasawa S, Saitoh H, Yajima D, Hayakawa M, Miura M, Iwase H.
  • Journal Title: Int J Legal Med. Volume: 128 Issue: 4 Pages: 667-673
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00414-014-1010-4
  • Peer Reviewed