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The impact of economic progress and modernization in medicine on the ossification of hand and wrist

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Abstract

One of the main criteria used for age estimations of young living subjects is the developmental status of the ossification of hand bones. The impact of economic progress and modernization in medicine on ossification rates in a given population still requires further clarification. We selected 36 samples from literature for which the ossification status had been determined with the Greulich–Pyle method and analyzed specific economic data (per capita income) and demographic data (life expectancy at birth) as parameters of modernization. To describe the influence of these parameters on the rate of ossification, we performed a regression analysis and found that a relatively high level of economic progress and modernization in medicine coincides with high ossification rates, while relatively low modernization seems to delay ossification. When performing age estimations, the expert opinion should therefore pay attention to the issue of different modernization levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hittorfstr. 18, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas Schmeling & Ronald Schulz

  2. Abteilung Biometrie und Medizinische Dokumentation, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Schwabstrasse 13, 89070, Ulm, Germany

    Bettina Danner

  3. Institut für Humangenetik und Anthropologie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Parkstrasse 11, 89070, Ulm, Germany

    Friedrich W. Rösing

Authors
  1. Andreas Schmeling
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  2. Ronald Schulz
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  3. Bettina Danner
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  4. Friedrich W. Rösing
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Correspondence to Andreas Schmeling.

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Schmeling, A., Schulz, R., Danner, B. et al. The impact of economic progress and modernization in medicine on the ossification of hand and wrist. Int J Legal Med 120, 121–126 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0007-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0007-4

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