Forensic age estimation: comparison and validation of the Iscan method in 3D reconstructions using a surface scanner in a Spanish population.

When investigating a death, post-mortem identification provides with results of great legal and humanitarian significance. The effectiveness of the methods used to estimate age depends on the reference population, considering variables such as sex and ancestry. The aim of this study was to validate the Iscan method to estimate age in a Spanish forensic population, comparing the estimates obtained in dry bones and 3D reconstructions created with a surface scanner.

Image analysis of pubic bone for age estimation in a computed tomography sample.

Radiology has demonstrated great utility for age estimation, but most of the studies are based on metrical and morphological methods in order to perform an identification profile. A simple image analysis-based method is presented, aimed to correlate the bony tissue ultrastructure with several variables obtained from the grey-level histogram (GLH) of computed tomography (CT) sagittal sections of the pubic symphysis surface and the pubic body, and relating them with age. The CT sample consisted of 169 hospital Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) archives of known sex and age.

Image analysis of pubic bone for sex determination in a computed tomography sample.

Radiology has demonstrated great utility for sex determination, but most studies are based in metrical and morphological methods in order to perform an identification profile. It is presented an easy image analysis-based method aimed to demonstrate the relationship between the bony tissue ultrastructure and sex by using several grey level histogram variables obtained from computed tomography images using sagittal sections of the pubic symphysis surface and the body of the pubis. The CT sample consisted of 169 hospital DICOM archives of known sex and age.