title: Long-term trend of bone development in the contemporary teenagers of Chinese Han nationality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To further improve the accuracy of bone age identification using the time of secondary ossification center appearance and epiphyseal fusion of 7 joints to estimate the age of living individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  DR films were taken from 7 parts including sternal end of clavical and the left side of shoulder, elbow, carpal, hip, knee and ankle joints of 1 709 individuals who came from eastern China, central China and southern China, whose ages were between 11.0 and 20.0 years. From those 7 joints 24 osteal loci were selected as bone age indexes, which could better reflect age growth of teenagers. The characteristics of secondary ossification center appearance and epiphyseal fusion were observed, and the mean and age range of secondary ossification center appearance and epiphyseal fusion were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fusion time of the 24 epiphyses were advanced at different degrees, the most obvious epiphyses the sternal end of clavicle, scapular acromial end, distal end of the radius, distal end of the ulna, iliac crest, ischial tuberosity, the upper and lower end of tibia and fibula. The appearance time of sternal end of clavicle, scapular acromial end, iliac crest and ischial tuberosity epiphyses were all found to be after the age of 12, and the female's age, approximately 1 year ahead of schedule in comparison with the male's.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relevant forensic information and data for bone age identification should be updated every 10-15 years so as to provide accurate and objective evidence for court testimony, conviction and sentencing.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai 200063, PR China. wangyh@ssfjd.cn
authors.forename: Ya-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chong-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Guang-You
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D002968:Clavicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult