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Thicot F, Egger C, Castiglioni C, Magnin V, Boudabbous S, Angelakopoulos N, Grabherr S, Genet P. Forensic age estimation at the University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva: a retrospective study over 12 years. Int J Legal Med 2024:10.1007/s00414-024-03254-8. [PMID: 38740629 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03254-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
With the undeniable increase in asylum requests from unaccompanied alleged minors, age estimation of living individuals has become an essential part of the routine work in European forensic centers. This study aims to review the forensic age estimations performed in our center since 2010, to evaluate the state-of-the-art of this practice in Switzerland with the evolution of the methodology according to upcoming recommendations. Our institute's expert reports performed between 2010 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. We gathered the following parameters: demographic data, morphological characteristics, alleged age compared with the assessed minimum age, sexual maturation, dental and bone age. When available, we collected personal and family history, medical history, records of torture-related/self-inflicted injuries, and information about eating habits that might affect skeletal development. Data collection amounted to 656 cases. Forensic age estimations ordered by the Swiss Secretariat for Migration (SEM) represented 76.4% of cases, with 23.6% of them ordered by the Court/Public Prosecutor. Most alleged minors were male (94.5%) and came from Afghanistan (53.4%). Adjunction of CT scans of the sternoclavicular joints was necessary in 86.4% of cases. Only 25.2% of our reports concluded on most probable minority, with 55.6% of definite majors; in 19.2% of our cases, minority could not be excluded. This study aspires to further broaden our expertise regarding forensic age estimations. Given the increasing migratory flows, we can expect a notable increase in the frequency of these requests. Consequently, this study aims to promote a multidisciplinary approach and the international standardization of the methodology of these estimations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederique Thicot
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva (CURML), Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Coraline Egger
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva (CURML), Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Castiglioni
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de La Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Magnin
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de La Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland
| | - Sana Boudabbous
- Radiology Division, Diagnostic Department, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Angelakopoulos
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de La Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Silke Grabherr
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva (CURML), Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de La Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland
| | - Pia Genet
- Unit of Forensic Medicine, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de La Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland
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Cameriere R, Scendoni R, Ferrante L, Mirtella D, Oncini L, Cingolani M. An Effective Model for Estimating Age in Unaccompanied Minors under the Italian Legal System. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11020224. [PMID: 36673592 PMCID: PMC9859195 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11020224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This article presents an effective model for estimating the age of subjects without identification documents, in accordance with Italian legislation covering unaccompanied minors, using instrumental methods recognized by the scientific community for age estimation. A decision-making tree has been developed, in which the first step is a physical examination. If secondary sexual characteristics are fully developed and there are no obvious signs of abnormal growth, dental X-rays are the next step. If the roots of the seven left mandibular teeth between the central incisor and the second molar are completely developed, the focus then moves to the third molar. If the index of the third molar (I3M) value is less than 0.08, or if third molars are not assessable, the following step is to study the clavicle which, if fully formed, indicates that the subject is an adult with 99.9% probability; otherwise, the probability is 96%. In all other cases (where the I3M is over 0.08), the probability that the subject has reached 18 years is less than 60%. The research, carried out initially on x-rays of the wrist, teeth and clavicle, highlighted the uselessness of the x-ray of the wrist for determining the age of majority, because in our sample, all subjects with incomplete maturity of hand/wrist bones were under 16 years of age; thus, OPT was necessary anyway. What we propose is a practical, easily feasible, fast, economical, and extremely reliable method, which can be used on Caucasian populations and beyond for multiple forensic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Cameriere
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, agEstimation Project, University of Molise, via Cesare Gazzani, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Roberto Scendoni
- Department of Law, Institute of Legal Medicine, agEstimation Project, University of Macerata, via Don Minzoni 9, 62100 Macerata, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-347-050-9552
| | - Luigi Ferrante
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, via Tronto 10/A, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Dora Mirtella
- Department of Law, Institute of Legal Medicine, agEstimation Project, University of Macerata, via Don Minzoni 9, 62100 Macerata, Italy
| | - Luigi Oncini
- Radiology Unit, Hospital of Macerata, via Santa Lucia 2, 62100 Macerata, Italy
| | - Mariano Cingolani
- Department of Law, Institute of Legal Medicine, agEstimation Project, University of Macerata, via Don Minzoni 9, 62100 Macerata, Italy
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Muacevic A, Adler JR, Khartade H, Jadav D, Shedge R, Pawar M, Meshram V. Age Estimation in Sportspersons From the Epiphyseal Fusion Around Wrist, Elbow, and Pelvic Joints. Cureus 2023; 15:e33282. [PMID: 36751204 PMCID: PMC9897231 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Age estimation of an individual is an integral part of medicolegal work. Out of many scenarios for which age estimation is performed, competitive sports is the one emerging field where experts are consulted for providing accurate age of the athlete. Owing to the chances of deliberately increasing (padding) or decreasing (shaving) the age of the athlete for his own advantage, accurate age estimation is crucial. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) mandates age verification from experts prior to participation in sports events in various age group categories. One of the widely used methods of age estimation in athletes is the radiological examination of the ossification centers of bones. Methodology The study was performed on 134 athletes (72 males and 62 females) with an age range of 12-18 years old with due permission from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for this study. These participants compete at state, national, and international levels in squash, handball, swimming, cricket, and judo in under-14, under-16, and under-19 age categories. X-rays of the wrists, elbows, and pelvis were analyzed using the Schmeling five-stage method for the fusion of ossification centers. Results A greater degree of correlation between the fusion stages of all regions of interest and chronological age was observed in males than in females. The highest correlation in both sexes is observed between the fusion score of the head of the radius and the age (R = 0.814 for males and R = 0.647 for females). The lowest correlation for both males and females is seen between the fusion score of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and age (R = 0.754 for males and R = 0.441 for females). Multiple linear regression models showed a standard error of estimate (SEE) of 1.093 years for the elbow joint, 1.147 years for the wrist joint, 1.039 years for the pelvis joint, and 1.030 years for all three joints. Conclusion Regression models generated for estimating the age of sportspersons from the ossification centers of the elbow, wrist, and pelvis in the present study can be applied for the age estimation of individuals aged between 12 and 18 years. Future population-specific studies on the age estimation of sportspersons with greater sample sizes are necessary to validate the findings of the present study.
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