title: Accuracy of cut-off value by measurement of third molar index: Study of a Colombian sample.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to test the accuracy of cut-off value of 0.08 by measurement of third molar index (I3M) in assessing legal adult age of 18 years in a sample of Colombian children and young adults. Digital orthopantomographs of 288 Colombian children and young adults (163 girls and 125 boys), aged between 13 and 22 years, were analysed. Concordance correlation coefficient (ρc) and κ statistics (Cohen's Kappa coefficient) showed that repeatability and reproducibility are high for both intra- and inter-observer error. κ statistics for intra- and inter-observer agreement in decision on adult or minor was 0.913 and 0.877, respectively. Age distribution gradually decreases as I3M increases in both girls and boys. For girls, the sensitivity test was 95.1% (95% CI 87.1%-95%) and specificity was 93.8% (95% CI 87.1%-98.8%). The proportion of correctly classified individuals was 95.1%. For boys, the sensitivity test was 91.7% (95% CI 85.1%-96.8%) and specificity was 90.6% (95% CI 82.1%-97.8%). The proportion of correctly classified individuals was 89.7%. The cut-off value of 0.08 is highly useful to determine if a subject is 18 years of age or older or not.
authors.affiliation: Stefano De Luca, Unidad Especial de Identificación Forense, Servicio Médico Legal, Santiago de Chile, Chile; AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy. Electronic address: sdeluca@sml.cl.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy; Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy; Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy; Carrera 74 #55-05, Normandia II, 111071, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luz Andrea Velandia
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Palacio
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy; Divisione di Paleopatologia, Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italia.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riccomi
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bestetti
authors.affiliation: AgEstimation Project, Institute of Legal Medicine, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cameriere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000254:growth & development*; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age estimation; Colombia; Cut-off; Forensic Anthropology Population Data; Forensic Science; third molar index