Analysis of various radiological age-assessment methods in children, adolescents and young adults regarding the differences between the sexes and sides of the body - A comparative review

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2023 Nov:65:102329. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102329. Epub 2023 Sep 29.

Abstract

A total of 76 articles published within the last twenty years, indexed in the PubMed and ResearchGate databases, were reviewed in order to compare medical imaging-based methods of age estimation of children, adolescents and young adults. The evaluated studies were analyzed for any statistically significant differences between the sexes and sides of the body, sample sizes, and population age. Irrespective of the evaluation method, there were some studies that showed a statistically significant differences in ossification stages between the male and female groups. Most of the studies whose authors conducted a statistical analysis demonstrated no significant differences between the left and right side of the body.

Keywords: CT; Forensic age assessment; Forensic age estimation; MRI; PMCT; Ultrasound.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Determination by Skeleton* / methods
  • Child
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Osteogenesis*
  • Radiography
  • Young Adult