title: Measurements of developing teeth, and carpals and epiphyses of the ulna and radius for assessing new cut-offs at the age thresholds of 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 years.
abstract: The minimum age of criminal responsibility is the youngest age at which children may be held liable for infringements of penal laws. New cut-offs at the age thresholds of 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 years were determined by applying three different methods: measurement of open apices in tooth roots (T); the ratio between the total area of carpal bones and epiphyses of the ulna and radius (HW); and the combined method (THW). The sample consisted of 291 Italian children (152 boys, 139 girls), aged between 5 and 15 years. The sensitivity and specificity were established. As regards THW, specificity reached the maximum of 95% in boys aged 10, and the minimum of 87% in boys aged 11. The best score of the Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was obtained in boys at 10 years with the THW method and the worst in girls of 12 with the HW method.
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cameriere
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy. Electronic address: sluca@ugr.es.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cingolani
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy; Center of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Medical Information Technology, Department of Biomedical Science and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrante
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D011884:Radius / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014070:Tooth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D014457:Ulna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*
keywords: Age estimation; Cut-off; Forensic science; Hand-wrist bones; MACR; Teeth