1. Identification of Age DR: Asmaa Fady Shereef.
Assistant professor of forensic medicine and Clinical Toxicology

2. Learning objectives:
By the end of the lecturer, the students should * Identify and Classify Types of identification. * Estimate unknown ages of a living or dead person (teeth, different bones).
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

3. Definition of Identification:
It is the recognition of an unknown person (living, dead or body remains) through certain features and characters which differentiate him from all others.
Classification:
Complete identification means the absolute fixation of the individuality of a person.
Partial identification means ascertainment of only some facts (sex, age, race, stature) about the identity while others remain still unknown.

4. Problem
A female aged 16 years was hit by an axe on her head and found unconscious with an axe nearby.
How to verify the age of the victim??

5. Estimation of age
The age of an individual can be determined from a combination of data provided by examination of:
Mandible, teeth.
Bones (( Skull, Appearance of ossific centers Union of epiphyses, X Rays),
General characters (weight, length, signs of puberty, signs of senility).

6. Estimation of age General characters Mandible and teeth Bones: *Skull.
*appearance of ossific centers.
*Union of epiphyses.
* X Rays

7. Mandible:
In infants: the angle between the body of the mandible and the ramus is obtuse (small mandible that caries the milk teeth). The mental foramen near the lower border.
In middle life: the angle becomes right. The mental foramen is midway between upper and lower border.
The senile: mandible has an obtuse angle again, the teeth are lost and the alveolar margins are absorbed. So, the mental foramen is higher.

8. Mandible at birth
Mandible at middle age
Mandible at old age

9. Teeth: 1) Milk teeth (temporary, primary or deciduous):
 They are twenty in number (4 incisors, 2 canines and 4 molars in each jaw).
 They are small, narrow, bluish white and delicate.
Eruption
Central incisors at 6th month
Lateral incisors at 9th month
First molars at 12th month
Canines at 18th month
Second molars at 24th month
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

10. Teeth: 2) Permanent teeth (secondary):
 They are thirty two in number (4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 premolars or bicuspids and 6 molars in each jaw).
 They are big, broad, heavy and strong. Permanent incisors have usually serrated edges.
First molar
6 years
Central incisor
7 years
Lateral incisor
8 years
First bicuspid
9 years
Second bicuspid
10 years
Canine
11 years
Second molar
12 years
Third molar(wisdom teeth)
18-25 years
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

11. Guess
4 years??
7 years??
15 year??
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

12. Estimation of age from bones
The age of an individual can be determined from a combination of data provided by: A. Skull. B. Appearance of ossific centers. C. Union of epiphyses.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

13. Skull : (sutures and fontanels)
Fontanels: Posterior fontanelle is closed at full term,
Anterior fontanelle is closed at about months after birth.

14. Sutures Frontal suture closes at 3-5 years .
The basioccipital and basisphenoid suture closes at 23 years.
The sagittal suture starts to close from the inner aspect at 25 years and is completely closed from the outer plate at about 30 years.
The coronal suture closes about the age of 40 years.
Lambdoid suture closes about the age of 50 years.
At the age of 70 years, all skull sutures are closed and faint except the suture between the temporal and parietal bones which remains open until extreme old age.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

15. Closure of skull sutures
Frontal sutures: 3 years
Coronal sutures:
40 years
Sagittal sutures: years
Lambdoid suture : 50 years
*Base: basioccipital unite with basisphenoidal in the skull base : 23 years

16. Appearance of Ossific Centers
12 = 2 * 6 = 12
Head of femur M
Lower & upper radius Y
Upper Ulna Y

17. Ossific centers
Ossific center of the head of femur appears at end of the first year.
Ossific center of the lower end of the radius appears at the end of the second year.
Ossific center of the upper end of the radius appears at 6 years.
Ossific center of the upper end of the ulna appears at 12 years.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

18. Epiphyseal union

19. Epiphyseal union
Upper limb (humerous, ulna , radius , metacarpal and phalanges)
Lower limb ( femur, tibia, fibula, metatarsal & phalanges)
Hip bone
Others (clavicle, hyoid, sternum & sacrum)
The female precedes male by 2 years except at sternum, sacrum and skull.

20. Head of humerus unites with the shaft at about 20 years.
1) In the upper limb:
a. Humerus:
The trochlea unites with the capitulum at 14 years. They unite with the shaft at about 15 years.
Lateral epicondyle unites with the shaft at about 16 years. Medial epicondyle unites with the shaft at about 17 years.
Head of humerus unites with the shaft at about 20 years.
b. Radius and Ulna:
The upper end of the ulna and radius unite with the shaft of its bone at about 16 and 17 years respectively.
The distal ends of both bones (wrist) unite with their shafts at about 20 years.
c. Hands:
The epiphyses of the metacarpals and phalanges unite with their shafts at about 18 years.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

21. 2- In the lower limb a. Femur:
The lesser trochanter, greater trochanter and head of the femur unite with the shaft at about 16, 17 and 18 years respectively.
The lower end unites with the shaft at about 21 years.
b. Tibia and Fibula:
Lower end and upper end of the tibia and fibula unite with the shaft at about 18 (ankle) & 21 years respectively.
c. Feet:
The epiphyses of the metatarsals and phalanges unite with their shaft at about 18 years.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

22. 3) Pelvis:
a. Hip bone:
Pubic ramus unites with the ramus of the ischium at about 6 years.
Ilium, ischium and pubic bones unite at about years resulting in disappearance of the Y-shaped suture in the acetabulum.
The epiphysis of the ischial tuberosity unites at about 21 years.
The epiphysis of the iliac crest unites at about 23 years.
b. Sacrum:
Fusion of sacral segments starts between 20 – 24 years and completed at about 25 years.
اسم ورقم المقرر – Course Name and No.
6/9/2019

23. Sternum: Manubrium united with the body at 60 years
Xiphoid process united with the body at 40 years

24. Bones of the upper limbs:
Head of humerus and lower ends of radius & ulna :20 years
Trochlea and capitulum with shaft: 15 years
Medial epicondyl & upper radius: 17 years
Lateral epicondyl & upper ulna: 16 years.
Trochlea with capitulum :14 years
Metacarpal bones & phalanges :18 years

25. Bones of the upper limbs: 1- Humerus
Head: 20 years
Lateral epicondyl : 16years
Trochlea &capitulum with shaft: 15 years
Medial epicondyl :17 years
Trochlea with capitulum :14 years

26. The specimen is humerus age below 14 years (if male)

27. 2-Radius and ulna Upper end of ulna with shaft 16 years .
Lower end of ulna &radius with shaft 20 years
Upper end of radius with shaft 17 years

28. Ulna less than 16 years (if male).
Radius less than 17 years (if male).

29. Bones of the lower limbs:
Greater trochanter at 17 years
Lesser trochanter at 16 years
Head of femur, lower end tibia &fibula and distal end of metatarsal bones at 18 years
Lower ends of femur and upper end of tibia &fibula at 21 years

30. Lesser trochanter not united Femur aged less than 16 years (if male).

31. Tibia and fibula Tibia and fibula aged less than 18 years (if male).
Non-union of lower ends of tibia and fibula

32. 3- Hip bone Epiphysis of iliac crest at 23 years
Ilium, ischium & pubic bones at 15 years
Epiphysis of the greater tuberosity of ischium at 21 years
Pubic ramus with ischial ramus at 6 years

33. Pelvis of child aged less than 6 years

34. X- rays on upper limbs?
Antero-posterior on elbow joint (lower part of humerus & upper parts of radius and ulna), aged more than 17 years (if male).

35. Antero-posterior and lateral view on femur, knee joint aged less than 21 years (if male).

36. -Lower end of femur unite with the shaft
-Upper end of tibia and fibula unite with their shafts
-Epiphysis of ischial tuberosity united
-Eruption of wisdom teeth.

37. Problem
A female aged 16 years was hit by an axe on her head and found unconscious with an axe nearby.
How to verify the age of the victim??