Keywords
Wrist
X-rays
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: The human body grows and matures with age, especially in children and adolescents. Skeletal age is determined from the development stage of bones.
Objectives: To determine the age of epiphyseal fusion of the lower end of radius and ulna in the Nepalese population which is important from a medicolegal point of view.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on patients undergoing X-rays of hand and wrist attending Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara in a one-year period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Total sample was 90 cases. The X-rays were assessed as appearance and not-appearance of epiphysis and different phases of skeletal maturity were graded according to McKern and Stewart classification.
Results: Mean age was relatively higher in males in fusion of radius. Whereas in ulna, no difference was recorded in mean age in the fifth stage. In male the correlation coefficient for stage of fusion for radius and ulna with age (years) was 0.90 and 0.65 (p < 0.001), while for the females the correlation coefficient for stage of fusion of radius and ulna with age was 0.94 and 0.82 (p <0.001), both indicating a strong correlation.
Conclusion: Estimation of age is not only important for identification of the deceased victim but also in medicolegal issues where there are many cases in courts which are undergoing age assessment by experts in absence of birth certificate or counterfeit documents.
References
Bangal R, Bhise S, Nanandkar S. Age determination from tri-radiate cartilage fusion-A radiological study in Mumbai region. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2016;38(3):271. [Full Text | DOI]
Guidelines of Forensic age estimation for living lndividuals in Nepal [Internet]. [cited 2020 Jul 28]. [Full Text]
Brogdon MD. Forensic Radiology. CRC Press; c1998. Chapter 5, Radiological Identification: Anthropological Parameters; p.68 [Full Text]
Schmeling A, Dettmeyer R, Rudolf E, Vieth V, Geserick G. Forensic Age Estimation: Methods, Certainty, and the Law. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016 Jan 29;33(4):243-5. [Full Text | DOI]
Kumar A, Parveen G, Srivastava R, Wadhwani P, Ali I, Awasthi P. Determination of age and sex and identification of deceased person by forensic procedures. Univers Res J Dent. 2014;4(3):153. [Full Text | DOI]
Washburn SL. Skeletal age changes in young American males, analysed from the standpoint of age identification. Thomas W. McKern and T. D. Stewart. Technical Report EP-45, Environmental Protection Research Division, Quartermaster Research and Development Center, U.S. A. Am Antiq. 1957th ed. 1958 Oct 20;24(2):198-9. [Full Text]
Franklin D, Flavel A, Noble J, Swift L, Karkhanis S. Forensic age estimation in living individuals: methodological considerations in the context of medicolegal practice. Res Reports Forensic Med Sci. 2015; 5:5366. [Full Text | DOI]
Nepal Law Comission, Age determination [Internet]. [cited 2020 Jul 22]. Available from: http://www. lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/7144 [Full Text]
Schmeling A, Olze A, Reisinger W, Rösing FW, Geserick G. Forensic age diagnostics of living individuals in criminal proceedings. Homo. 2003;54(2):162-9. [PubMed | DOI]
Bhise SS, Chikhalkar BG, Nanandkar SD, Chavan GS. Age Determination from Radiological study of epiphysial appearance and union around wrist joint and hand. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2011;33(4):292-5. [Full Text]
Sangma W, Marak F, Singh M, Kharrubon B. Age determination in girls of north – eastern region of India. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2007;29(4):102-8. [Full Text]