The use of ventral fusion between sacral elements S1 and S2 as an additional age-at-death indicator in a black South African skeletal sample

Abstract

Despite indicating numerous demographic features such as sex, stature, and age; the sacrum remains a relatively insufficiently researched skeletal element. A set pattern of ossification and fusion of the sacrum makes it a useful bone for estimating age-at-death in unknown skeletal individuals. The aims of this study, which examined a black South African skeletal sample, were to establish if fusion correlated to age and to estimate the age at which fusion between the first two sacral vertebrae began and ended. A total of 316 male (n=149) and female (n=167) sacra from the Raymond A. Dart collection of Human Skeletons were assessed, with ages ranging from 13–60 years and 12–60 years respectively. A three-stage scoring method was used to categorise the degree of fusion of each sacrum. In comparison to females (rs=0.59), males demonstrated a higher correlation between age and staging score assigned (rs=0.68). It was observed that the age of partial and complete fusion was highly variable. However, it was noted that partial fusion occurred more often in individuals younger than 30 years, while complete fusion was observed commonly in both sexes above the age of 35 years. Despite this variability, the sacrum can be used as an additional age-at-death indicator.