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Morphology as a cause for different classification of the ossification stage of the medial clavicular epiphysis by ultrasound, computed tomography, and macroscopy

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Abstract

The assessment of the ossification status of the medial clavicular epiphysis plays a decisive role in forensic age diagnostics to determine whether a person has completed his or her 18th or, respectively, 21st year of life. Currently, computed tomography is the gold standard method for age diagnostics of this kind. However, efforts are being made to establish non-ionizing methods, such as ultrasonography, predominantly, in an attempt to reduce the radiation exposure load of living persons. The present study is the first to score and to compare the ossification status of both medial clavicular epiphyses of the same subjects by sonography, computed tomography, and, in some of the cases, by macroscopy. Our study was conducted on five male corpses, ranging in age from 15.8–28.8 years. In the comparison of high-resolution sonography (frequency, 12–15 MHz) and thin slice computed tomography (slice thickness, 0.6 mm), performed separately for left and right clavicles, the results from these two methods differed in seven of ten cases. In six cases, the ossification stage of the medial clavicle, determined by sonography and classified according to Schulz et al. (2008), was scored higher than with computed tomography. In one case, it was rated lower. There was only one subject for whom both the sonographic and computed tomography findings agreed for both body sides.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) (VE 381/5-1)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Medicine, University of Giessen, Frankfurter Straße 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany

    Michael Gonsior & Marcel A. Verhoff

  2. Department of Legal Medicine, University Hospital of Saarland, Building 42, D-66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Frank Ramsthaler

  3. Department of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Butenfeld 42, D-22529, Hamburg, Germany

    Axel Gehl

Authors
  1. Michael Gonsior
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  2. Frank Ramsthaler
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  3. Axel Gehl
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  4. Marcel A. Verhoff
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Correspondence to Marcel A. Verhoff.

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Gonsior, M., Ramsthaler, F., Gehl, A. et al. Morphology as a cause for different classification of the ossification stage of the medial clavicular epiphysis by ultrasound, computed tomography, and macroscopy. Int J Legal Med 127, 1013–1021 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-013-0889-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-013-0889-5

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