Magnetic resonance imaging of the proximal tibial epiphysis: could it be helpful in forensic age estimation?

There is an increasing demand for age estimations of living persons who are involved in civil and criminal procedures but lack a valid birth certificate indicating their date of birth. Several studies have recommended the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assessment of the stage of epiphyseal fusion in age estimation. This study involved retrospective MRI analysis of 335 cases (217 males and 118 females) whose ages ranged from 8 to 28 years (yrs). We assessed the degree of ossification of the proximal tibial epiphysis depending on the classifications of Schmeling and Kellinghaus used for the main stages (I, II, III, IV & V) and substages (IIa, b, c & IIIa, b, c). Significant differences between males and females at stages IIIc, IV and V (p < 0.001) were observed. Additionally, the ossification of the proximal tibial epiphyses occurred earlier in females than in males (2-4 yrs). The mean of ages in stage IV was approximately 18.6 yrs. in females and 22.5 yrs. in males, meaning that stage IV can be used as a valuable forensic marker to determine whether the person in question has reached the age of 18 yrs. We concluded that the application of MRI in the assessment of the ossification status of the proximal tibial epiphysis could be helpful in age estimation for various forensic purposes.