Estimation of skeletal age at death in adults using the acetabulum and the auricular surface – An application on the Terry Collection

Rougé-Maillart et al. proposed a technique to determine the age of a subject using the acetabular surface and the auricular surface of the coxal bone. This technique has been described as promising, particularly in subjects under 50 years of age. The initial aim of this study was to test the technique on a new population with two observers, one of whom had no prior experience of the technique. A second aim was to confirm the utility of using the technique on elderly subjects. Material and method We worked on 210 bones (108 male and 102 female) from the Terry Collection. Two observers studied the bones (one was a beginner, one an advanced user of the technique). Age estimation of the skeletons was based on analysis of the auricular surface and the acetabulum as described in the method by Rougé-Maillart et al. Intra- and inter-observer correlations were performed to monitor the reliability and reproducibility of this technique in the overall population, before moving on to subjects aged over 50. Results For both observers, the data highlighted a good average correlation between score and real age (overall scores of 0.648 and 0.773) in the overall population. The similarity between the observers’ results increases as total scores are used. However, the inter-observer correlation is lower than for the previous study, as some criteria are more difficult to classify for the novice observer. As regards subjects over 50, the results are less reliable than expected, with a higher inter-observer variation than in the overall population. Conclusion This study confirms the reproducibility and effectiveness of the method. However, some criteria must be redefined, while others must be weighed. Likewise, a modification to the Bayesian approach with a change to the intervals should be considered

The mysteries of calcified remains: distinction and recognition of atherosclerotic calcifications, ossified cartilage, calcified pleural plaques and gallstones

Markers of disease on skeletal remains are valuable tools in both forensic sciences and archeology. However, not all pathologies leave direct signs on bones that can be interpreted. Some are responsible for the formation of calcified material that have the potential to survive the decomposition processes. These products of disease are difficult to recognize, especially when mixed with soil and altered by taphonomic processes; they may be considered non- relevant for the anthropological analysis because they can be more insidious (in particular when not in situ) and are less well known. We aimed in providing additional information on the appearance of calcified soft tissue material in order to help anthropologists pay more attention to them and identify them. In this perspective, we performed morphological, SEM and histological (according to two protocols: decalcified and undecalcified) analyses on known calcified soft tissue material collected from fresh cadavers and \u201caged\u201d by water maceration so as to simulate a dry bone context. When available, we compared them with dry bone calcifications recovered among skeletal remains. The calcified material selected included atherosclerotic calcifications, ossified cartilage, gallstones and pleural plaques. Atherosclerotic calcifications are convex-concave plaques with a stratified structure observed in detail in the SEM and histological analyses. Moreover, decalcified sections showed cores of extracellular lipids constituted of cholesterol crystals, surrounded by macrophage foam cells that appeared as \u2018ghost\u2019 elements. Ossified cartilage, although similar to bone in appearance, exhibited both lamellar bone and mineralized matrix in histological sections. Histologically, parietal pleural plaques show a soft component made of dense layers of avascular collagen with occasional fibroblasts and a hard component formed by amorphous dense acellular material similar to fibrotic/hyalinized tissue. The boundary between plaque and pleura showed small vessels surrounded by dense thickening of lymphocytes and fibro-adipose tissue. Gallstones can present various shapes, sizes, colorations and elemental compositions, but cross-sectional studies may allow their recognition and classification according to their main component: cholesterol, calcium bilirubinate or mixed. A correct identification of these calcified material will provide specific information to the biological profile, which is one of the main objectives in forensic anthropology. For instance, atherosclerotic plaques act as markers of cardiovascular disease, ossified cartilage may be an indicator of age-at-death, gallstones can be compared to antemortem data and pleural plaques may be indicative of pulmonary disease

Interest of bone disease in the identification of human remains: the example of a case with tuberculosis

Interest of bone disease in the identification of human remains: the example of a case with tuberculosis

A multicentre and prospective study of suspected cases of child physical abuse

In this multicentre prospective study, the authors aim to describe the social and clinical characteristics of a population of children who arrived with a suspicion of physical abuse at five Emergency Services across France and who underwent clinical and thorough radiological screening according to a common predetermined protocol. A total of 185 cases of children seen at the Emergency units of five French hospitals over a 4-year period was assessed via a specific protocol and included in this study. The results of this study show socio-cultural factors consistent with previous reports on abused populations, and in particular give interesting data concerning the type and severity of lesions present, on the whole, in 80% of the population studied. In particular this study revealed a high prevalence (30%) of bone fractures. Apart from giving a perspective on the French population, this study adds some information to the too few preexisting studies of its kind and stresses the importance of effective identification of possible cases of child abuse and of a thorough and sensitive screening protocol

Osteogenesi imperfetta nell\u2019interpretazione del \u201cnon accidental injury\u201d : due casi a confronto

L\u2019osteogenesi imperfetta ha da sempre posto seri problemi di diagnosi differenziale con eventuali fratture di natura non accidentale, in quanto i soggetti affetti da tale condizione patologica tendono a sviluppare fratture multiple ed in epoche diverse, paragonabili ai casi di child physical abuse. Sebbene alcune forme di osteogenesi imperfetta siano riconoscibili anche clinicamente grazie ai diversi segni secondari associati, quali le sclere blu e la lassit\ue0 legamentosa, alcune forme, spesso di gravit\ue0 inferiore, mancano di tale obiettivit\ue0, e spesso si manifestano con una aspecifica fragilit\ue0 ossea. Risulta evidente in questi casi la difficolt\ue0 nel porre una diagnosi definitiva, che pu\uf2 essere eseguita efficacemente con l\u2019analisi del profilo di sintesi del collagene da colture di fibroblasti e i test genetici. L\u2019esistenza di forme di osteogenesi imperfetta caratterizzate unicamente dalla fragilit\ue0 ossea ha spinto alcuni autori a ipotizzare l\u2019esistenza di forme nosologiche transienti ad eziopatogenesi sconosciuta, come la TBBF (Temporary Brittle Bone Disease); il rischio dell\u2019utilizzo di forme nosologiche non ancora definite ed indimostrabili sul piano obiettivo \ue8 evidente, considerando l\u2019impatto di tale argomentazione in ambito giudiziario. Il presente studio ha l\u2019obiettivo di sottolineare le difficolt\ue0 legate alla diagnosi di lesione non accidentale nel contesto di un sospetto di osteogenesi imperfetta; nel primo, l\u2019evidenza di fratture multiple in epoche diverse ha fatto insorgere il sospetto dell\u2019origine non accidentale delle lesioni: la presenza dello stesso pattern fratturativo nella sorella gemella omozigote e l\u2019esecuzione dei test genetici ha consentito di evidenziare la diagnosi corretta di osteogenesi imperfetta. Nel secondo, l\u2019osservazione di multiple fratture ossee nel contesto di un ambiente familiare considerato non sospetto per child abuse ha posto in evidenza una possibile diagnosi di osteogenesi imperfetta, in assenza di qualsiasi altro segno secondario; l\u2019esito negativo delle indagini genetiche e colturali ha consentito di sostenere come ipotesi diagnostica l\u2019origine non accidentale. Dall\u2019analisi dei casi clinici esposti risulta pertanto di notevole importanza un approccio il pi\uf9 possibile aperto ad ogni ipotesi diagnostica in tali situazioni, oltre che il ruolo decisivo delle indagini genetiche e colturali per la diagnosi delle forme prive dei segni secondari, e pertanto non obiettivabili clinicamente

Cooling rates of the ear and brain in pig heads submerged in water : implications for postmortem interval estimation of cadavers found in still water

The state of the art for determining postmortem interval in submerged bodies reflects a serious lack of studies. The objectives of the present study were therefore to study cerebral and tympanic cooling in water and its relation to cooling in air, in a pig model. First of all, cerebral and tympanic cooling on a single head and on an entire body were compared and proven to be very similar in air and in water. Nine pairs of heads were then exposed to 9 temperature intervals from 0 degrees C to 20 degrees C. For every set temperature, one head was placed in water, the other in "ambient" air in a thermostatic chamber. Ear and brain temperature were simultaneously measured every 10 minutes during 8 hours. Results showed that both in air and in water, cooling curves were almost exponential, regardless of the site (ear or brain) or the environmental temperature. Cooling was always more rapid in water than in air. Cerebral and tympanic cooling always had a correlation coefficient of 0.98-0.99. Assuming that these cooling patterns are applicable to man, this research may provide a starting point for postmortem interval estimation in submerged cadavers

Distinguishing incised wounds in asylum seekers as ritual scarification or torture: a cross road between physical and cultural anthropology

Beating is the most common method to torture. But it appears that the use of sharp-edged weapon is the main method that leaves scars. Such weapons are used in four different ways; self-harming, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments (CIDT) and ritual scarifications. In order to analyze the previously mentioned topic, we proposed two insights of the issue: one related to the medico \u2013 legal field and the other one pertaining to cultural anthropology. This study aims to determine if lesions due to ritual scarifications can be distinguished from the other type of incised wounds. The medical report of 115 political refugees and asylum seekers from the Medico-Legal Institute of Milan (Italy) have been studied. A dataset on Excel (Microsoft) has been created to understand the circumstances the number, and the localization of their scars due to sharp-edged weapons. From the 115 victims, 45.2% showed incised wounds; 14.7% showed signs of torture; 23.4% presented CIDT evidences. Finally, two other categories were represented in the sample: ritual scarification, counting 6 cases and two individuals who reported self \u2013 harming. The African continent is over-represented. It appears that the scarification process shows a pattern. The lesions for some cases can be distinguished from self-harm, torture and CIDT. Scarifications are made for social, medical, religious or magical purposes. Problems are raised when cases of alleged torture show physical lesions that fit with patterns of ritual scarifications. Cultural and social backgrounds play then an important role during medico-legal visits. Ritual scarifications are still relatively practiced among African countries. Only a trend for such lesions can be identified. Knowing all type of scarifications and being able to read them can be a huge step for the medico-legal identification

Age assessment of Belgian medieval cemetery population and Balkans population by Suchey-Brooks and Iscan methods

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Comparison of four skeletal methods for the estimation of age at death on white and black adults

When analyzing human adult skeletal remains, it is often difficult to decide whether a single aging method will give a more reliable age estimation than a combination of methods. This study evaluates four macroscopic indicators for age estimation on 218 American White and Black individuals, ranging in age from 25 to 90 years of age, from the Terry collection. Individuals in the sample were selected to have a balanced race, sex, and age distribution. The following aging methods were applied to each skeleton by one experienced observer: the Suchey-Brooks (SB) pubic symphysis method, the Lovejoy auricular surface method, the monoradicular teeth Lamendin (LM) method, and the I\u15fcan (IC) method for fourth ribs. The statistical study involved the evaluation of inaccuracy and bias (based on median age) for each age indicator and the combination of methods using Principal component analysis (PCA). Analysis was performed on the entire sample, then by race, then sex, and then age group (25-40 years, 41-60 years, and >60 years). PCA was the most accurate method for both racial groups when all age groups are analyzed together. When the sample was divided into age groups, SB was the most accurate for young adults (25-40 years) and LM was the most accurate for middle adults (41-60 years). After the age of 60, all methods are highly inaccurate, although IC gives the lowest inaccuracy. As regards bias, the study highlights the tendency of all methods to overestimate the age of young individuals and to underestimate in the older age group. No single skeletal indicator of age at death is ever likely to reflect accurately the many factors that accumulate with chronological age. In fact, one must use as many dental and skeletal indicators as possible. However, in order to maximize the potential of each method, in the final evaluation one should consider mainly the method or methods that have a higher accuracy for a particular age range