Jankauskas R, Barakauskas S, Bojarun R
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Ciurlionio 21, Vilnius LT 2009, Lithuania.
Homo. 2001;52(1):59-71. doi: 10.1078/0018-442x-00020.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of counting incremental lines of dental root cementum for biological age determination, and to compare it with alternative methods. Two samples were taken: 51 teeth from 49 individuals of known age obtained at the Stomatological Clinic, Vilnius University, as well as the canine teeth from the remains of 48 individuals from the mass graves of Tuskulenai in Vilnius (inhumed 1944-47). In the latter sample, the chronological age of 43 individuals was known through personal identification. Undecalcified teeth were sectioned with the Leica SP 1600 microtome diamond saw, and incremental line count as a blind test was made on sections of 35 to 100 microns thickness. Incremental line count was possible in 82-86 percent of cases. The results of three independent counts showed that intra-observer bias has no significant impact. Biological age was estimated by adding incremental line number to the average age of tooth eruption. It was found that mean absolute error was 6.46 years for the 1st sample, 6.27 years for the 2nd sample, and in some cases exceeded 10 years. For the 2nd sample, the results were compared to those of other methods such as endocranial suture ossification, pubic symphysis morphology and the "combined" method of Nemeskéri. All four methods yield a similar correlation in regard to an individual's chronological age. The highest correlation was found for the combined method, and the lowest one for public symphysis morphology. All correlations had a similar standard error. Thus our assessment is less enthusiastic than in some past studies; it is suggested that the incremental lines rather have a similar use as other methods.
本研究旨在评估利用牙骨质的增龄线来确定生物学年龄，并将其与其他方法进行比较。采集了两个样本：一个是从维尔纽斯大学口腔诊所获取的49名已知年龄个体的51颗牙齿，另一个是维尔纽斯图斯库莱奈乱葬岗中48具遗体的犬齿（埋葬于1944 - 1947年）。在后一个样本中，通过个人身份识别得知了43名个体的实足年龄。未脱钙的牙齿用徕卡SP 1600切片机的金刚石锯进行切片，并对厚度为35至100微米的切片进行盲法增龄线计数。82% - 86%的病例能够进行增龄线计数。三次独立计数的结果表明，观察者内部偏差没有显著影响。通过将增龄线数量加到牙齿萌出的平均年龄来估计生物学年龄。结果发现，第一个样本的平均绝对误差为6.46岁，第二个样本为6.27岁，在某些情况下超过了10岁。对于第二个样本，将结果与其他方法（如颅缝骨化、耻骨联合形态以及内梅斯凯里的“综合”方法）的结果进行了比较。就个体的实足年龄而言，所有四种方法都呈现出相似的相关性。综合方法的相关性最高，耻骨联合形态的相关性最低。所有相关性的标准误差相似。因此，我们的评估不像过去一些研究那样乐观；建议增龄线与其他方法的用途相似。
