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Estimation of forensic age using substages of ossification of the medial clavicle in living individuals

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Abstract

Forensic age estimation based on staging of ossification of the medial clavicular bone is one of the methods recommended by the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics of the German Association of Forensic Medicine. In the present study, we analyzed the stages of ossification of the medial clavicular epiphyses on thin-sliced (1 mm) computed tomography (CT) images using the substages defined within stages 2 and 3. The retrospective CT analysis involved 193 subjects (129 males, 64 females) ranging in age from 13 to 28 years. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between age and ossification stage in both male and female subjects. Stage 3c was first observed at 19 years of age in both sexes and may thus serve as a valuable forensic marker for determining an age of 18 years. Although further research is needed on the ossification stages of the medial clavicular epiphyses, the present findings could contribute to existing reports on observers’ experiences using CT analysis of ossification combined with analysis of substages.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Güney mahallesi 1140/1 Yenisehir, Konak, Izmir, Turkey

    Oguzhan Ekizoglu

  2. Department of Radiology, Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Elif Hocaoglu, Ercan Inci & Sema Aksoy

  3. Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Ismail Ozgur Can

  4. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ibrahim Sayin

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  1. Oguzhan Ekizoglu
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  2. Elif Hocaoglu
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Correspondence to Oguzhan Ekizoglu.

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Ekizoglu, O., Hocaoglu, E., Inci, E. et al. Estimation of forensic age using substages of ossification of the medial clavicle in living individuals. Int J Legal Med 129, 1259–1264 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-015-1234-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-015-1234-y

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