Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Image analysis of pubic bone for age estimation in a computed tomography sample

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Legal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Radiology has demonstrated great utility for age estimation, but most of the studies are based on metrical and morphological methods in order to perform an identification profile. A simple image analysis-based method is presented, aimed to correlate the bony tissue ultrastructure with several variables obtained from the grey-level histogram (GLH) of computed tomography (CT) sagittal sections of the pubic symphysis surface and the pubic body, and relating them with age. The CT sample consisted of 169 hospital Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) archives of known sex and age. The calculated multiple regression models showed a maximum R 2 of 0.533 for females and 0.726 for males, with a high intra- and inter-observer agreement. The method suggested is considered not only useful for performing an identification profile during virtopsy, but also for application in further studies in order to attach a quantitative correlation for tissue ultrastructure characteristics, without complex and expensive methods beyond image analysis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ritz-Timme S, Cattaneo C, Collins MJ, Waite ER, Schutz HW, Kaatsch HJ, Borrman HI (2000) Age estimation: the state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practice. Int J Legal Med 113:129–136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosing FW, Graw M, Marrè B, Ritz-Timme S, Rotschild MA, Rotzscher K, Schmeling A, Schroder I, Geserick G (2007) Recommendations for the forensic diagnosis of sex and age from skeletons. Homo 58:75–89

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Schmeling A, Geserick G, Reisinger W, Olze A (2007) Age estimation. Forensic Sci Int 165:178–181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Schmeling A, Grundman C, Fuhrman A, Kaatsch HJ, Knell B, Ramsthaler F, Reisinger W, Riepert T, Ritz-Timme S, Rosing FW, Rotzscher K, Geserick G (2008) Criteria for age estimation in living individuals. Int J Legal Med 122:457–460

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cunha E, Baccino E, Martrille L, Ramsthaler F, Prieto J, Schuliar Y, Lynnerup N, Cattaneo C (2009) The problem of aging human remains and living individuals. Forensic Sci Int 193:1–13

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cattaneo C, Baccino E (2002) A call for forensic anthropology in Europe. Int J Legal Med 116:N1–N2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Baccino E (2005) Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe: a subsection of the IALM. Int J Legal Med 119:N1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Dedouit F, Savall F, Mokrane FZ, Rousseau H, Crubézy E, Rougé D, Telmon N (2014) Virtual anthropology and forensic identification using multidetector CT. Br J Radiol. doi:10.1259/bjr.20130468

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Telmon N, Gaston A, Chemla P, Blanc A, Joffre F, Rougé D (2005) Application of the Suchey-Brooks method to three-dimensional imaging of the pubic symphysis. J Forensic Sci 50:507–512

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Pasquier E, Pernot LS, Burdin V, Mounayer C, Le Rest C, Colin D, Mottier D, Roux C, Baccino E (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

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dedouit F, Bindel S, Gainza D, Blanc A, Joffre F, Rougé D, Telmon N (2008) Application of the Iscan method to two- and three-dimensional imaging of the sternal end of the right fourth rib. J Forensic Sci 53:288–295

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Harth S, Obert M, Ramsthaler F, Reuß C, Traupe H, Verhoff MA (2009) Estimating age by assessing the ossification degree of cranial sutures with the aid of flat-panel-CT. Leg Med 11(Suppl 1):S186–S189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kreitner KF, Schweden F, Schild HH, Riepert T, Nafe B (1997) Computerized tomography of the epiphyseal union of the medial clavicle: an auxiliary method of age determination during adolescence and the 3rd decade of life? Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 166:481–486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kreitner KF, Schweden FJ, Riepert T, Nafe B, Thelen M (1998) Bone age determination based on the study of the medial extremity of the clavicle. Eur Radiol 8:1116–1122

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schmeling A, Schultz R, Reisinger W, Mühler M, Wernecke KD, Geserick G (2004) Studies on the time frame for ossification of the medial clavicular epiphyseal cartilage in conventional radiography. Int J Legal Med 118:5–8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schulz R, Muhler M, Mutze S, Schmidt S, Reisinger W, Schmeling A (2005) Studies on the time frame for ossification of the medial epiphysis of the clavicle as revealed by CT scans. Int J Legal Med 119:142–145

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Schulze D, Rother U, Fuhrmann A, Richel S, Faulman G, Heiland M (2006) Correlation of age and ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis using computed tomography. Forensic Sci Int 158:184–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mühler M, Schulz R, Schmidt S, Schmeling A, Reisinger W (2006) The influence of slice thickness on assessment of clavicle ossification in forensic age diagnosis. Int J Legal Med 120:15–17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. El-Barghouty N, Geroulakos G, Nicolaides A, Androulakis A, Bahal V (1995) Computer-assisted carotid plaque characterization. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 9:389–393

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. El-Barghouty N, Nicolaides A, Bahal V, Geroulakos G, Androulakis A (1996) The identification of the high risk carotid plaque. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 11:470–478

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Falkowsky A, Kaczmarczyk M, Ciechanowicz A, Goracy I, Poncyljusz W, Wilk G (2004) Computer-assisted characterization of a carotid plaque. Med Sci Monit 10(Suppl 3):67–70

    Google Scholar 

  22. Batisse D, Giron F, Lévêque JL (2006) Capacitance imaging of the skin surface. Skin Res Technol 12:99–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bittar-Cortez JA, Passeri LA, Bóscolo FN, Haiter-Neto F (2006) Comparison of hard tissue density changes around implants assessed in digitized conventional radiographs and subtraction images. Clin Oral Implant Res 17:560–564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Thali MJ, Yen K, Schweitzer W, Vock P, Boesch C, Ozdoba C, Schroth G, Ith M, Sonnenschein M, Doernhoefer T, Scheurer E, Plattner T, Dirnhofer R (2003) Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 48:386–403

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Thali MJ, Jackowsky C, Oesterhelweg L, Ross SG, Dirnhofer R (2007) VIRTOPSY: The Swiss virtual autopsy approach. Leg Med 9:100–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yamakazi K, Shiotani S, Ohasi N, Doi M, Kikuchi K, Nagata C, Honda K (2006) Comparison between computed tomography (CT) and autopsy findings in cases of abdominal injury and disease. Forensic Sci Int 162:163–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Yen K, Thali MJ, Aghayeb E, Jackowski C, Schweitzer W, Boesch C, Vock P, Dirnhofer R, Sonnenschein M (2005) Strangulation signs: initial correlation of MRI. MSCT and forensic neck findings. J Magn Reson Imaging 22:501–510

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Myers JC, Okoye MI, Kiple D, Kimmerle EH, Reinhard KJ (1999) Three-dimensional (3D) imaging in post-mortem examinations: Elucidation and identification of cranial and facial fractures in victims of homicide utilizing 3D computerized imaging reconstruction techniques. Int J Legal Med 113:33–37

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Jackowsky C, Thali MJ, Sonnenschein M, Aghayeb E, Yen K, Dirnhofer R (2005) Adipocere in postmortem imaging using multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Am J Forensic Med Pathol 26:360–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Dirnhofer R, Jackowsky C, Vock P, Potter K, Thali MJ (2006) Virtopsy: minimally invasive, imaging-guided virtual autopsy. Radiographics 26:1305–1336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Dedouit F, Telmon N, Guilbeau-Frugier C, Gainza D, Otal P, Joffre F, Rougé D (2007) Virtual autopsy and forensic identification—practical application: a report of one case. J Forensic Sci 52:960–964

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Thali MJ, Braun M, Buck U, Aghayeb E, Jackowsky C, Vock P, Sonnenschein M, Dirnhofer R (2005) Virtopsy—scientific documentation, reconstruction and animation in forensic: Individual and real 3D data based geo-metric approach including optical body/object surface and radiological CT/MRI scanning. J Forensic Sci 50:428–442

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Knopke A, Bischot A, Jensen MT (2005) (Accessed 20 Mar 2014). K-Pacs [on line]. Web: http://www.k-pacs.de/

  34. Ballina García FJ (2002) Los factores de riesgo de la artrosis. En: Sociedad Española de Reumatología. Manual S.E.R. de la Artrosis. IM&C, Madrid, pp 121–135

    Google Scholar 

  35. Gelber AC, Hochberg MC, Mead LA, Wang NY, Wigley FM, Klag MJ (2000) Joint injury in young adults and risk for subsequent knee and hip osteoarthritis. Ann Intern Med 133:321–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Rasband WS (1997-2012) ImageJ 1.33 edn. US National Health Institute, Bethesda, MD [on line]. Web: http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  37. Gonzalez RC, Woods RE (2007) Digital image processing, 3rd edn. Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall

    Google Scholar 

  38. Long B (2011) Fotografía digital, Edición 2011. Anaya Multimedia, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  39. Sen D, Pal SK (2011) Automatic exact histogram specification for contrast enhancement and visual system based quantitative evaluation. IEEE Trans Image Process 20:1211–1220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. García Pérez A (2008) Estadística aplicada: Conceptos básicos, 2ª Edición. Librería UNED, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  41. Batanero C, Tauber L, Sánchez MV (2001) Significado y comprensión de la distribución normal en un curso introductorio de análisis de datos. Quadrante 10:59–92

    Google Scholar 

  42. Kisbye P (2010) Test de Kolmogorov-Smirnov [on line]. Web: http://www.famaf.unc.edu.ar/~kisbye/mys/clase17_pr.pdf. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  43. SPSS® (2003) SPSS Modelos de regresión™ 12.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc

  44. Kessler M - Departamento de matemática aplicada y estadística de la Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (2003) Ajuste por mínimos cuadrados (2) [on line]. Web: http://filemon.upct.es/~mathieu/organizacion/practicas/practregmult2.pdf. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  45. Moral Peláez I (2006) Modelos de regresión: Lineal simple y regresión logística [on line]. Web: http://www.revistaseden.org/files/14-CAP%2014.pdf. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  46. Aguayo Canela M (2007) Cómo realizar “paso a paso” un contraste de hipótesis con SPSS© para Windows y alternativamente con EPIINFO y EPIDAT: (II) Asociación entre una variable cuantitativa y una categórica (comparación de medias entre dos o más grupos independientes) [on line]. Web: http://www.fabis.org/html/archivos/docuweb/contraste_hipotesis_2r.pdf. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  47. Arranz JM, Zamora MM (2002) Análisis de autocorrelación [on line]. Web: http://ciberconta.unizar.es/Leccion/autocorrelacion/analisis%20de%20autocorrelacion.PDF. (Accessed 20 Mar 2014)

  48. Landis JR, Koch GG (1977) The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 33:159–174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Kvaal SI, Kolltveit KM, Thomsen IO, Solheim T (1995) Age estimation of adults from dental radiographs. Forensic Sci Int 74:175–185

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Cameriere R, Ferrante L, Cingolani M (2004) Variations in pulp/tooth area ratio as an indicator of age: a preliminary study. J Forensic Sci 49:317–319

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Cameriere R, Brogi G, Ferrante L, Mirtella D, Vultaggio C, Cingolani M, Fornaciari G (2006) Reliability in age determination by pulp/tooth ratio in upper canines in skeletal remains. J Forensic Sci 51:861–864

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Cameriere R, Ferrante L, Belcastro MG, Bonfiglioli B, Rastelli E, Cingolani M (2007) Age estimation by pulp/tooth ratio in canines by mesial and vestibular periapical X-Rays. J Forensic Sci 52:1551–1555

    Google Scholar 

  53. Cattaneo C, De Angelis D, Ruspa M, Gibelli D, Cameriere R, Grandi M (2008) How old am I? Age estimation in living adults: a case report. J Forensic Odontostomatol 27:39–43

    Google Scholar 

  54. Barrier P, Dedouit F, Braga J, Joffre F, Rougé D, Rousseau H, Telmon N (2009) Age at death estimation using multislice computed tomography reconstructions of the posterior pelvis. J Forensic Sci 54:773–778

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Brooks ST (1955) Skeletal age at death: Reliability of cranial and pubic age indicators. Am J Phys Anthropol 13:567–597

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Brooks ST, Suchey JM (1990) Skeletal age determination based on the pubis: a comparison of the Acsádi-Nemeskéri and Suchey-Brooks methods. Hum Evol 5:227–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Iscan MY, Loth SR, Wright RK (1984) Age estimation from the rib by phase analysis: white males. J Forensic Sci 29:1094–1104

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Iscan MY, Loth SR, Wright RK (1985) Age estimation from the rib by phase analysis: white females. J Forensic Sci 30:853–863

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Iscan MY, Loth SR, Wright RK (1987) Racial variation in the sternal extremity of the rib and its effect on age determination. J Forensic Sci 32:452–466

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Lamendin H (1973) Observations on teeth roots in the estimation of age. Int J Forensic Dent 1:4–7

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Lamendin H, Baccino E, Humpert JF, Tavernier JC, Nossintchouk RM, Zerilli A (1993) A simple technique for age estimation in adult corpses: the two criteria dental method. J Forensic Sci 37:1373–1379

    Google Scholar 

  62. Baccino E, Zerilli A (1997) The two step strategy (TSS) or the right way to combine a dental (Lamedin) and anthropological (Suchey-Brooks system) method for age determination. En: Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, New York (NY) and Colorado Springs (CO). American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 17-22

  63. Nemeskéri J, Harsanyi L, Acsádi G (1960) Methoden zur diagnose des lebensalters von skelettfunden. Anthropol Anz 24:70–95

    Google Scholar 

  64. Masset C (1982) Estimation de l'âge au décès par les sutures crâniennes. Thèse de Sciences Naturelles, Multigraphée. Université Paris VII

  65. Baker RK (1984) The relationship of cranial suture closure and age analyzed in modern multi-racial sample of males and females. Thesis for the Degree Master of Arts in Anthropology, California States University

  66. Meindl RS, Lovejoy CO (1985) Ectocranial suture closure: a revised method for the determination of skeletal age at death based on the lateral-anterior sutures. Am J Phys Anthropol 68:57–66

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Lovejoy CO, Meindl RS, Pryzbeck TR, Mensforth RP (1985) Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium: a new method for the determination of adult skeletal age at death. Am J Phys Anthropol 68:15–28

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Ferrant O, Rougé-Maillart C, Guittet L, Papin F, Clin B, Fau G, Telmon N (2009) Age at death estimation of adult males using coxal bone and CT scan: a preliminary study. Forensic Sci Int 186:14–21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Villa C, Hansen MN, Buckberry J, Cattaneo C, Lynnerup N (2013) Forensic age estimation based on the trabecular bone changes of the pelvic bone using post-mortem CT. Forensic Sci Int 233:393–402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Wade A, Nelson A, Garvin G, Holdsworth W (2011) Preliminary radiological assessment of age-related change in trabecular structure of the human os pubis. J Forensic Sci 56:312–319

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Obert M, Kubelt C, Schaaf T, Dassinger B, Grams A, Gizewski ER, Krombach GA, Verhoff MA (2013) Aging skull remains through radiological density estimates: a comparison of different computed tomography systems and the use of computer simulations to judge the accuracy of results. Forensic Sci Int 228:179.e1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Cho H, Stout SD, Madsen RW, Streeter MA (2002) Population-specific histological age-estimating method: a model for known African-American and European-American skeletal remains. J Forensic Sci 47:12–18

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Boel LW, Boldsen JL, Melsen F (2007) Double lamellae in trabecular osteons: towards a new method for age estimation by bone microscopy. Homo 58:269–277

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Kerley ER, Ubelaker DH (1978) Revisions in the microscopic method of estimating age at death in human cortical bone. Am J Phys Anthropol 49:545–546

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Stout SD, Stanley SC (1991) Percent osteonal bone versus osteon counts: The variable of choice for estimating age at death. Am J Phys Anthropol 86:515–519

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Cool SM, Hendrikz JK, Wood WB (1995) Microscopic age changes in the human occipital bone. J Forensic Sci 40:781–796

    Google Scholar 

  77. Ohtani S (1998) Rate of aspartic acid racemization in bone. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 19:284–287

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Ritz-Timme S, Schutz HW, Collins MJ (1999) Evaluation of aspartic acid racemization ratios in the human femur for age estimation. J Forensic Sci 44:874–876

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Ohtani S, Matsushima Y, Kobayashi Y, Yamamoto T (2002) Age estimation by measuring the racemization of aspartic acid from total amino acid content of several types of bone and rib cartilage: a preliminary account. J Forensic Sci 47:32–36

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Ohtani S, Yamada Y, Yamamoto T, Arany S, Gonmori K, Yoshioka N (2004) Comparison of age estimated from degree of racemization of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and alanine in the femur. J Forensic Sci 49:441–445

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. Ohtani S, Abe I, Yamamoto T (2005) An Application of D- and L-aspartic acid mixture as standard specimens for the chronological age estimation. J Forensic Sci 50:1298–1302

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. López-Alcaraz M, Garamendi González PM, Alemán Aguilera I, Botella López M (2013) Image analysis of pubic bone for sex determination in a computed tomography sample. Int J Legal Med 127:1145–1155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Marta, the one who inspired this study; to Fernando Navarro, a great friend and forensic anthropologist, for his wise advises; and to the Central Health Services of Castilla la Mancha (SESCAM), for providing samples when no one else was willing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuel López-Alcaraz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

López-Alcaraz, M., González, P.M.G., Aguilera, I.A. et al. Image analysis of pubic bone for age estimation in a computed tomography sample. Int J Legal Med 129, 335–346 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-1034-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-1034-9

Keywords

Navigation