title: Contribution of magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist and hand to forensic age assessment.
abstract: Forensic age estimation of living individuals is a controversial subject because of the imprecision of the available methods which leads to errors. Moreover, young persons are exposed to radiation, without diagnostic or therapeutic advantage. Recently, non-invasive imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been studied in this context. The aim of this work was to study if the analysis of wrist/hand MRI enabled determination of whether a subject was 18 years old. Two observers retrospectively analyzed metaphyseal-epiphyseal fusion of the distal epiphysis of the radius and the ulna and the base of the first metacarpus in wrist/hand MRI of living people between 9 and 25 years of age. A three-stage scoring system was applied to all epiphyses. Intra- and inter-observer variability was excellent. Staging of the distal radial epiphysis allowed the subjects to be correctly evaluated with regard to the 18-year-old threshold in more than 85 % of cases. Analysis of the radius alone was as good as the analysis of the three epiphyses together. Evaluation of the metaphyseal-epiphyseal fusion of the distal radius in wrist MRI gave good results in forensic age estimation. Wrist MRI could meet ethical expectations with regard to the link between the benefit and risk of practicing radiologic examination on individuals in this context.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France. jeanne.serin@free.fr.|Institut Médico-Légal, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, Cedex 9, France. jeanne.serin@free.fr.|Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Toulouse-Rangueil, Avenue du Professeur Jean Poulhès, 31043, Toulouse, Cedex 4, France. jeanne.serin@free.fr.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.|Institut Médico-Légal, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rérolle
authors.affiliation: Pôle d'Imagerie Médicale, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pucheux
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.|Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Toulouse-Rangueil, Avenue du Professeur Jean Poulhès, 31043, Toulouse, Cedex 4, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dedouit
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.|Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Toulouse-Rangueil, Avenue du Professeur Jean Poulhès, 31043, Toulouse, Cedex 4, France.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Telmon
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.|Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Toulouse-Rangueil, Avenue du Professeur Jean Poulhès, 31043, Toulouse, Cedex 4, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Savall
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.|Institut Médico-Légal, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saint-Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011884:Radius / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014457:Ulna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age estimation; Bayesian predictive probabilities; Forensic anthropology; Magnetic resonance imaging; Wrist