Aorta is the largest artery in the human body. Its starting point is the aortic orifice of the aortic valve and it terminates at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra. The main function of the aorta is to transport oxygenated blood to supply all the organs and cells. With advancing age, the structure and hence the function show progressive changes. Various changes in the aortic morphology include the luminal diameter of aorta, whole length of the aorta, thickness, the microstructural components also change, and these include collagen, elastin and smooth muscle cells. In addition, the dimensions of all segments of the aorta increase with age in both sexes. Since age is a major risk factor for degenerative change and diseases affecting the aorta, understanding the detailed anatomy of the aorta may provide essential information concerning the age-associated process of the aorta. Knowledge of the morphological changes in the aorta is also important for future clinical therapies pertaining to aortic disease. Additionally, the information regarding the structural changes with age may be applied for age determination. This review describes the overview of the anatomy of the aorta, age related changes in the morphology of the aorta and aortic diseases.

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Image analysis has an increasing role in the identification of individuals in forensic application. Beside the bones, microstructural of arteries can be used in age estimation study. Aorta is the largest elastic artery which consists of many elastic fibers. Elastin in arterial wall highly resist to chemical and physical influence. The purposes of the study were to quantify elastic fibers in tunica media in each location of the aorta and examine the correlation between elastic fibers and age by using image analysis program. A total of 36 human aortas were dissected in 4 locations. The aortas were obtained from cadavers with an age range of 20 to 90 years. Specimens were stained with Elastic Van Gieson staining. Histological images were investigated about elastic fibers using light microscope with cellSens program and aorta image analysis was used for the evaluation of data. The results showed that the mean percentage density of elastic fibers in the ascending aorta and the aortic arch increased. However, the mean percentage density of elastic fibers decreased in the 31 to 40 years age group in the thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta and decreased in each location of aorta continuously until 81 to 90 years. The abdominal aorta showed the highest correlation with age (r=0.732) followed by the thoracic aorta, the aortic arch and the ascending aorta, respectively. Changes in the percentage density of elastic fibers in the tunica media of the aortic wall can be used to add information to age estimation for identification purposes.

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The current technology used in imaging has an increasing role in medical education. The concept of using an image analysis programme to help in estimating the age of the aorta, the largest artery, can be clearly seen to be of use, especially in establishing age changes for the identification of individuals. The purposes of the study were to investigate gross morphology, morphometric parameters, and the correlation between parameters with age of the aorta in human cadavers by using an image analysis programme. A total of 244 specimens were dissected from 4 locations of 61 human aortas from donour and autopsy cadavers with an age range of 20 to 90 years. The morphometric parameters included outer circumference, inner circumference, aortic diameter, and average thickness of all locations of the aorta. These were defined and measured by using the image analysis programme. The results of this study showed that the outer circumference (r=0.808-0.739), inner circumference (r=0.763-0.682), vertical diameter of the aorta (r=0.628-0.524) and horizontal diameter of the aorta (r=0.808-0.396) showed a significant correlation with age in all areas of the aorta. In the ascending aorta, the correlation between the outer circumference, horizontal diameter and age were higher than other variables and areas. The age equation established pertinent to the outer circumference (OC) in the ascending aorta was age = -61.648+ (1.141(OC)) with a standard error of ± 12.45 years. The age prediction equation for the horizontal diameter (HD) in the ascending aorta was age = -35.799+ (4.134(HD)) and a standard error of ± 12.43 years. In conclusion, knowledge of the structural changes associated with age can be used for age estimation in forensic anthropology.