A Comparative Study of Age Between Radiological Examination of Elbow Joint and Birth Certificates in Males

Abstract

Assessment of age by radiological examination of ossification centers of bones is useful to solve several medicolegal and civil cases. Radiological examination plays a crucial role in sensitive cases where dispute of age arises with evidence of birth certificates, school records and hospital records produced by the concerned parties. Present study is aimed at age estimation by the process of appearance and fusion of ossification centers of bones at the elbow so as to formulate the reasonable acceptance of the age by various authorities including the judiciary and comparision of the above said with the date of birth certificates of the subjects. MATERIALS The number of subjects studied are 75 cricket players. Inclusion criteria Healthy male students aged between 10-20 years. Exclusion criteria No skeletal malformations or visible physical abnormalities. The subjects chosen for study have been grouped into 2 as follows as per their age groups:-1. About 35 subjects are within the age group of 11-14 years. 2. About 40 subjects are within the age group of 15-18 years. The groups were made based on evidential proof of date of birth certificates given by the subjects. The bone age is compared with the date of births of the subjects. METHODS Anteroposterior position of the elbow joint of right hand is used. RESULT Paired T test is done. Significant P value is seen. In the age group of 10-15 there is a correlation in 26 cases. In the age group of 15-20 there is a correlation in 28 cases. DISCUSSION Assessment of appearance, maturity and union of ossification centers of bones by radiological means is an important and useful study to determine the age of a person though various physical, dental and other anthropometric methods are available. Age determination by skeletal maturity is said to be an accurate process. CONCLUSION Present study indicates that there is significant disagreement of evidential proof of age provided and the scientific observation of age of the candidates by the forensic procedure in all the two categories of age groups investigated. This study clearly indicates that a few of the parents have changed the original date of births of their children in order to get future educational benefits and service benefits.