Abstract
Objective: Age criterion in case of livings plays an important role in clarifying the issues concerning legal and social aspect. An additional assessment of medial clavicular epiphysis by X-ray or CT examination helps in criminal proceedings to ascertain the age of suspect above 18 years, if skeletal development of hand is complete. A comparative study was conducted using two radiological techniques i.e. digital Radiography and CT scan to find out the preferred technique for finding the accurate clavicular ossification status for forensic age diagnostics in living subjects above 18 years of age. Material and method: CT scan images and digital X-rays of a patient population of 100 individuals falling in the age group of 13-30 years (originally preformed for their respective diagnostic purpose) were retrospectively examined for finding the ossification status of clavicle. Results: It was found that CT scan permitted the evaluation in all the subjects included in the study, but the evaluation was not possible in 6% of the sample with digital X-rays and the results of both modalities were not concordant in 18.5% of the evaluated sample. Conclusion: It was concluded that CT scan is the better modality for finding the ossification stages of medial clavicular epiphysis, as the interpretation was easier and the target area could be visualized without the superimposition of other bones in all the cases.
Highlights
Age estimation in case of living individuals is generally needed for clarifying the issues with significant legal and social ramification for individuals as well as community in situations which can be criminal as well as civil [1]
It was concluded that computed tomography (CT) scan is the better modality for finding the ossification stages of medial clavicular epiphysis, as the interpretation was easier and the target area could be visualized without the superimposition of other bones in all the cases
The agreement level in their results has been found to be substantial [16]. It can be concluded in the present study: The reliable assessment of medial clavicular ossification was not possible in 6% of sample with digital X-ray (DR) due to superimposition of other bony structures, whereas CT was found perfect in providing assessment in 100% sample
Summary
Age estimation in case of living individuals is generally needed for clarifying the issues with significant legal and social ramification for individuals as well as community in situations which can be criminal as well as civil [1]. MRI is another radiation-free modern imaging tool, especially useful in underaged or young patients, but it is costly as well as time-consuming and it provides lower resolution in region of the epiphysis using standard MR protocols. This is because the MRI of this region is compromised by many factors such as motion artifacts from respiration or pulsations and long duration sequences (high resolution sequences) are not generally used in this region due to motion artifacts. Results were found to be different in 2 clavicles, owing to suboptimal quality and misinterpretation due to overlapping of other
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
