title: Technical note: The two step procedure (TSP) for the determination of age at death of adult human remains in forensic cases.
abstract: This paper presents the principles and results of TSP (the two step procedure), a comprehensive (combined) method of age estimation in mature human skeletal remains. The first step consists of the examination of the pubic symphysis using the Suchey-Brooks system for a "pre-choice". Then for SBS phases I, II, III, (young adults up to about 40) the age estimate is given using the chronological interval corresponding to each phase. For SBS phase is IV, V or VI (mature adults, about 40 to 60), then (second step) the dental method of Lamendin (using single rooted tooth) will be applied alone. Both methods are fast, easy to learn and to use (requiring no preparation except cleaning soft tissues from the pubic bone) and are not expensive, making TSP usable by all pathologists or anthropologists in any Forensic unit. It is also of great practical use in mass disaster and mass grave situation. After 15 years of use, a literature review and four evaluation studies we confirm that TSP is more accurate than any single method for aging adults and at least as good as more complicated combined methods. Despite its advantages TSP is, like all other aging methods, not efficient in adults over 65 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Légale, Hopital Lapeyronie, CHU de Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baccino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (Forensic Medicine), Edinburgh University Medical School, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sinfield
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Légale, Hopital Lapeyronie, CHU de Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier Cedex, France. Electronic address: sophiecolomb@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colomb
authors.affiliation: Département d'information médicale, CHU de Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Thierry Pascal
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Légale, Faculté de Médecine de Nancy, 54505 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martrille
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D010520:Aggressive Periodontitis / Q000473:pathology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011631:Pubic Symphysis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adult cadavers; Age at death; Dental method of Lamendin; Pubic symphysis; Suchey–Brooks; Two step procedure