Title 

A Cross Sectional Study of Age Estimation from Appearance and Fusion of Acromion Process of Scapula in Shoulder Joint by Digital X-ray.

Authors

Shivnath Parkhe, Sandeep Kadu, Amrut Swami, Ganesh Govekar

 Abstract

Introduction: Age estimation is one of the most important thing in court of law and in civil cases. The experts have to look for age in different medico legal cases. Material & Methods: The present cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Tertiary Care Medical Institution. This study was carried out on total 200 subjects between the age group of 14 years to 20 years. The X- ray AP view of Shoulder joint taken by using digital X-ray method for appearance and fusion of ossification centres of acromion process, coracoids process and head of humerus. Evaluation of skeletal maturity was done abiding to the Jits and Kulkarni’s classification of four stages viz. Appearance, Non fusion, Partial fusion and complete fusion. The appearance and fusion was studied according to the age, gender and diet of the participants. Results: Out of 200 subjects, 100 were males and rest 100 were females. We had 35 cases from age group of 17-18 years (17.5%). Appearance of acromion process present in 93.33% of the females were in the age group of 14 – 15 years and 80% of the males were in the age group of 15 – 16 years, fusion of acromion process doesn’t begin below 15 years of age. We observed that there is no association of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet on the fusion of epiphyseal centres, in both male and females. Conclusion: We observed that the complete fusion of Acromion process in Males 18-19 years and in Females a year earlier during 17-18 years. The complete fusion of centres of Acromion process occurs one to two years later than the subject of South India, England and America.

keywords 

Forensic Science, Forensic Anthropology, Sexual Dimorphism, Deltoid Tuberosity, Mass Disaster, Discriminant Function Analysis.

DOI