Can Ismail Ozgur, Ekizoglu Oguzhan, Hocaoglu Elif, Inci Ercan, Sayin Ibrahim, Kaya Kamil Hakan
From the *Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey; and †Departments of Forensic Medicine, ‡Radiology, and §Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
J Craniofac Surg. 2014 Jul;25(4):1212-6. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000000847.
The analysis of ossification points plays a considerable role in forensic age estimation. Although traditional methods are still in use, researchers are working on different age estimation procedures especially within the development of radiologic methods. One of these methods is to define spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion degree. Spheno-occipital synchondrosis, an important growth point on cranial base, provides noteworthy information about age estimation through its late stage ossification nature. This study aimed to investigate spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion degree for age estimation in the Turkish population. In our study, 1-mm-sectioned computed tomography images of 638 (399 men and 139 women) subjects within the age of 10 to 25 years were retrospectively examined. It is stated in our study that spheno-occipital syncondrosis fusion begins superiorly and progresses inferiorly until it is completed. Spheno-occipital syncondrosis is known to be totally open at the mean (SD) age of 11.5 (1.5) years in men and 10.7 (0.8) years in women. In addition, fusion degree is known to be increased with age. Fusion starts approximately 2 years earlier in women than in men, and the process of fusion completes at the age of 17 years in both sexes. An analysis of fusion degree between sex groups showed significance at the age of 11 to 15 years, and Spearman rank correlations indicate a significant positive relationship between age and degree of spheno-occipital fusion (P < 0.001; men, ρ = 0.714; women, ρ = 0.698). Consequently, 5-staged analysis of spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion degree in use with 1-mm computed tomography images will be helpful for age estimation between 11 and 17 years.
骨化点分析在法医年龄估计中起着相当重要的作用。尽管传统方法仍在使用，但研究人员正在致力于不同的年龄估计程序，尤其是在放射学方法的开发方面。其中一种方法是定义蝶枕软骨结合融合程度。蝶枕软骨结合是颅底的一个重要生长点，通过其晚期骨化性质提供了有关年龄估计的重要信息。本研究旨在调查土耳其人群中蝶枕软骨结合融合程度以用于年龄估计。在我们的研究中，回顾性检查了638名（399名男性和139名女性）年龄在10至25岁之间的受试者的1毫米层厚计算机断层扫描图像。我们的研究表明，蝶枕软骨结合融合从上方开始并向下进展直至完成。已知蝶枕软骨结合在男性平均（标准差）年龄11.5（1.5）岁和女性平均（标准差）年龄10.7（0.8）岁时完全开放。此外，融合程度随年龄增加。女性的融合开始时间比男性早约2年，且两性的融合过程均在17岁时完成。对性别组之间融合程度的分析显示在11至15岁时具有显著性，并且斯皮尔曼等级相关性表明年龄与蝶枕融合程度之间存在显著正相关（P < 0.001；男性，ρ = 0.714；女性，ρ = 0.698）。因此，结合1毫米计算机断层扫描图像使用的蝶枕软骨结合融合程度的五阶段分析将有助于11至17岁之间的年龄估计。
