Age Estimation from Computed Tomography of Cranial Suture Closure in a Thai Population
Computed Tomography of Cranial Suture Closure
Abstract
Age estimation from human skeletal remains is an important step to reconstruct a biological profile. Cranial suture has long been studied for its age-related closure. However, until now, forensic anthropologists still attempt to investigate the best way of estimating age at death from cranial suture closure because skull is usually found at the crime scene due to its easy recognised-appearance and persistence to post-mortem insults. For these reasons, a study of age estimation from cranial suture closure in a Thai population was conducted, which focussed to study the appearance and visibility of facial suture closure using computed tomography (CT). CT image series of 140 cases were obtained in order to investigate ectocranial closure of the selected facial sutures. The results from CT image analysis revealed that nasomaxillary provided the most consistent examination of suture closure (52%) while frontonasal delivered the lowest consistency in suture closure examination (29%). The inconsistency mostly occurred in assigning the closure score of 1 and 2. Thus, it could be suggested that a 3-scale scoring system of closure: open, closing, and closed, could be an appropriate method of evaluating degree of ectocranial closure of facial sutures obtained from CT imaging. This fundamental information of facial suture closure from CT images could serve as a starting point on development of age estimation technique from suture closure by utilising CT images.
Keywords :
age estimation,
computed tomography,
cranial suture,
Thais,
Abstrak
Anggaran umur dari sisa tertinggal kerangka manusia adalah langkah penting untuk membina semula profil biologi. Jahitan sutur kranial telah lama dikaji untuk tujuan penutupan yang berkaitan dengan usia. Namun, hingga kini, antropologi forensik masih digunakan untuk menyiasat cara terbaik untuk menganggarkan usia kematian akibat penutupan sutur kranial kerana tengkorak biasanya dijumpai di tempat kejadian kerana mudah dikenali dan kedapatan kerosakan tengkorak pada post-mortem. Atas sebab-sebab ini, dilakukan kajian anggaran usia dari penutupan sutur kranial pada populasi kajian Thailand yang memfokuskan diri untuk mengkaji penampilan dan penglihatan penutupan sutur wajah menggunakan kajian imbasan tomografi (CT). Siri gambar CT sebanyak 140 kes diperolehi untuk menyiasat penutupan ektokranial dari sutur wajah yang dipilih. Hasil analisis gambar CT menunjukkan bahawa imbasan sudut nasomaksilari memberikan pemeriksaan penutupan jahitan yang paling konsisten (52%) sementara sudut frontonasal pula memberikan konsistensi terendah dalam pemeriksaan penutupan sutur (29%). Ketidaklarasan kebanyakan dapatan terjadi dalam menetapkan skor penutupan 1 dan 2. Oleh itu, dapat disarankan agar sistem penutupan sutur berskala 3 dilakukan, iaitu: tutup, meneruskan penutupan, dan menutup keseluruhannya, akan dapat menjadi kaedah yang tepat untuk menilai tahap penutupan ectocranial sutur wajah yang diperoleh daripada pengimejan CT. Maklumat asas penutupan jahitan wajah dari CT dapat menjadi titik awal pengembangan teknik perkiraan usia dari penutupan jahitan dengan menggunakan gambar CT.
Kata Kunci :
anggaran umur,
imbasan tomografi,
sutur kranial,
Thailand,
Correspondance Address
Professor Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh. Excellence Center in Osteology Research and Training Center (ORTC), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand.
Tel: +66-53-949-474 Email: pasuk034@gmail.com
