Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Study of age dependence of epiphyseal ossification of the hand skeleton

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

Abstract

Radiological analysis of the hand skeleton is a key pillar of forensic age diagnostics in living subjects undergoing criminal proceedings. The present study investigated whether ossification stage classification of selected epiphyses of the hand could provide added value to hand radiograph analysis. Hand radiographs from 265 male and 164 female subjects aged 10–18years old who had been X-rayed due to traumatological indications were therefore assessed. Epiphyseal ossification of selected elements of the hand skeleton (ulna, radius and third metacarpal, basal phalanx, mesophalanx and telephalanx) was graded based on the criteria of the five-stage classification system of Schmeling et al. (Int J Legal Med, 118:5–8, 2004) for clavicular epiphyseal cartilage. Stage 5 (absence of the epiphyseal scar) does not occur in the radius of men before the age of 18. Stage 5 can therefore be regarded as a potential parameter for valid determination of a minimum age of 18 years for forensic age estimation in criminal proceedings.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Braga J, Treil J (2007) Estimation of pediatric skeletal age using geometric morphometrics and three-dimensional cranial size changes. Int J Legal Med (in press). DOI 10.1007/s00414‐007‐0170-x

  2. Cameriere R, Ferrante L, Mirtella D, Cingolani M (2006) Carpals and epiphyses of radius and ulna as age indicators. Int J Legal Med 120:143–146

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dünkel F, van Kalmthout A, Schüler-Springorum H (1997) Entwicklungstendenzen und Reformstrategien im Jugendstrafrecht im europäischen Vergleich. Forum, Mönchengladbach

    Google Scholar 

  4. Gunst K, Mesotten K, Carbonez A, Willems G (2003) Third molar root development in relation to chronological age: a large sample sized retrospective study. Forensic Sci Int 136:52–57

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Marshall WA, Tanner JM (1969) Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls. Arch Dis Child 44:291–303

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Marshall WA, Tanner JM (1970) Variations in the pattern of pubertal changes in boys. Arch Dis Child 45:13–23

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Olze A, Schmeling A, Taniguchi M, Maeda H, Van Niekerk P, Wernecke K-D, Geserick G (2004) Forensic age estimation in living subjects: the ethnic factor in wisdom tooth mineralization. Int J Legal Med 118:170–173

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Olze A, van Niekerk P, Ishikawa T, Zhu BL, Schulz R, Maeda H, Schmeling A (2007) Comparative study on the effect of ethnicity on wisdom tooth eruption. Int J Legal Med (in press). DOI 10.1007/s00414‐007‐0171‐9

  10. Roche AF, Chumlea WC, Thissen D (1988) Assessing the skeletal maturity of the hand-wrist: Fels method. Thomas, Springfield

    Google Scholar 

  11. Schmeling A, Reisinger W, Loreck D, Vendura K, Markus W, Geserick G (2000) Effects of ethnicity on skeletal maturation - consequences for forensic age estimations. Int J Legal Med 113:253–258

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Schmeling A, Kaatsch H-J, Marré B, Reisinger W, Riepert T, Ritz-Timme S, Rösing FW, Rötzscher K, Geserick G (2001) Empfehlungen für die Altersdiagnostik bei Lebenden im Strafverfahren. Rechtsmedizin 11:1–3

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Schmeling A, Baumann U, Schmidt S, Wernecke K-D, Reisinger W (2006) Reference data for the Thiemann-Nitz method of assessing skeletal age for the purpose of forensic age estimation. Int J Legal Med 120:1–4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schmeling A, Schulz R, Danner B, Rösing FW (2006) The impact of economic progress and modernization in medicine on the ossification of hand and wrist. Int J Legal Med 120:121–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schmidt S, Koch B, Schulz R, Reisinger W, Schmeling A (2007) Comparative analysis of the applicability of the skeletal age determinations methods of Greulich-Pyle and Thiemann-Nitz for forensic age estimation in living subjects. Int J Legal Med (in press). DOI 10.1007/s00414‐007‐0165‐7

  17. Schmidt S, Mühler M, Schmeling A, Reisinger W, Schulz R (2007) Magnetic resonance imaging of the clavicular ossification. Int J Legal Med (in press). DOI 10.1007/s00414‐007‐0160‐z

  18. Sun SS, Schubert CM, Chumlea WC, Roche AF, Kulin HE, Lee PA, Himes JH, Ryan AS (2002) National estimates of the timing of sexual maturation and racial differences among US children. Pediatrics 110:911–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Tanner JM, Healy MJR, Goldstein H, Cameron N (2001) Assessment of skeletal maturity and prediction of adult height (TW3 method). W.B. Saunders, London

    Google Scholar 

  20. Thiemann H-H, Nitz I, Schmeling A (2006) Röntgenatlas der normalen Hand im Kindesalter. Thieme, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank PD Dr. R. Fuchs (Berlin), Prof. Dr. F. Schmidt (Leipzig), and PD Dr. G. Stobbe (Berlin) for kindly providing the hand radiograms.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Turmstrasse 21, 10553, Berlin, Germany

    S. Schmidt & U. Baumann

  2. Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Röntgenstrasse 23, 48149, Münster, Germany

    R. Schulz & A. Schmeling

  3. Institut für Radiologie (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    W. Reisinger

Authors
  1. S. Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. U. Baumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Schulz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. W. Reisinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Schmeling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Schmeling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schmidt, S., Baumann, U., Schulz, R. et al. Study of age dependence of epiphyseal ossification of the hand skeleton. Int J Legal Med 122, 51–54 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0209-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0209-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation