A Large‐Sample Test of a Semi‐Automated Clavicle Search Engine to Assist Skeletal Identification by Radiograph Comparison

D’Alonzo, Susan S.; Guyomarc’h, Pierre; Byrd, John E.; Stephan, Carl N.

doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13221

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…While there have been some attempts to produce computerized quantitative methods for both cranial and infra‐cranial comparisons (see e.g., [21, 34–37,]), qualitative assessment by human practitioners has been the norm via the visual inspection of juxtaposed AM and PM images in side‐by‐side fashion [1, 2, 11, 20, 38]. While the ability to read a radiograph is recognized as a complex skill that may take years to master [39], scientific studies that systematically test the proficiency of experts in the infra‐cranial comparison context are rare.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infra‐cranial radiographic comparison for human identification: A study of analyst expertise

Hona

Olditch

Byrd

et al. 2021

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Radiographic comparison for identification is widely utilized. However, these methods are qualitative and subject to analyst ability to correctly read and interpret radiographs. With regards to infra-cranial radiographs, few studies have been conducted to explore the role of practitioner expertize on correct classification rates (CCRs).Here, we undertake two such studies using forensic anthropologists [American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) certified, practicing but not board-certified anthropologists, and chest radiograph comparison (CXR) anthropologists trained via the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency CXR competency training program] and compare their results to novices. To ensure participants only referred to the same skeletal morphology, we cropped radiographs to single bones. An array of four simulated antemortem radiographs was presented to each assessor with each postmortem radiograph. Assessors evaluated arrays for a correct match, which was always present, yielding a 25% rate for random correct selections. Study 1 used anteroposterior C7, posteroanterior second metacarpal, and lateral calcaneus radiographs (three arrays each for nine arrays total), which yielded 86, 81, 69, and 68% mean CCRs for CXR experts, ABFA anthropologists, non-ABFA anthropologists and novices, respectively.Study 2 used anteroposterior C7 and left clavicles (three arrays each for six arrays total), yielding mean CCRs of 100, 96, and 84% for CXR experts, ABFA anthropologists and novices, respectively. As reflected by the CCRs, expertise is clearly a factor for radiographic comparisons, evident not just between novices and anthropologists, but also between anthropologists. We recommend all radiographic comparison analysts be subject to competency/proficiency tests prior to their engagement for forensic casework.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infra‐cranial radiographic comparison for human identification: A study of analyst expertise

Hona

Olditch

Byrd

et al. 2021

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…If there is a potential match finding, a CXR panel of experts reviews the strength of the association. In cases when the list of potential candidates is too long to allow triage to be performed in a timely manner, an automated clavicle matching program (CMP) can be used to create potential shortlists of candidates for CXR comparisons (D'Alonzo et al, 2017). The application uses elliptical Fourier analysis of the clavicle outlines to rank individuals according to their shape similarity.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Korean War Identification Project: 30 years of expanding scope and complexity in the accounting of American war dead

Keyes

Doman

et al. 2023

WIREs Forensic Science

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The Korean War claimed approximately 36,500 American service member casualties in its 3 years, of which nearly 7600 are still unaccounted for. The Korea 208 (K208) Project began in 2011 to more strategically address the highly commingled nature of 208 boxes of human remains that were repatriated from North Korea to the United Nations Command in the early 1990s and subsequently turned over to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii (now Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency [DPAA]) for analysis and identification. The K208 was further expanded by the recovery of remains from Joint Recovery Operations (JROs) in North Korea between 1996 and 2005, which revealed, among other issues, the presence of non-U.S. casualties and crossover of elements between these two assemblages.More recently, 55 boxes of human remains (known as the K55) were repatriated from North Korea in 2018 with many of the same commingling and assemblage crossover issues originally presented by the K208. Additionally, there has been an increased push to disinter more than 800 unknown Korean War service members buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (also known as the Punchbowl) in Honolulu, which represent casualties recovered from both North and South Korea that had undergone prior analysis in the 1950s and 1960s. Subsequent examination has revealed that many Punchbowl remains are commingled despite being thought to have been originally buried as discrete individuals. Because of these developments, the K208 Project has grown in complexity and scope, thus changing its name to the Korean War Identification Project (KWIP) in 2017. Now under its purview are the original accessions from the K208 and JROs as well as the K55 and Punchbowl, representing the largest identification project within the DPAA. A robust and defensible identification process begins with an initial triage of the remains, followed by a systematic process of segregation, consolidation, and corroboration leading to identification. This

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“…The radiographs of the most likely candidates can then be visually compared to the postmortem radiographs to assess the possibility of a match. Using this method, correctly matching individuals have been found in the top 10% of the comparison sample 70% of the time (D'Alonzo, Guyomarc'h, Byrd, & Stephan, 2017). Overall, the use of chest radiographs has increased the capacity and timeliness of identifications.…”

Section: Chest Radiographic Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of forensic anthropological techniques in identifying America's war dead from past conflicts

Belcher

Shiroma²,

Chesson³

et al. 2021

WIREs Forensic Science

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The Scientific Analysis Directorate of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is a unique entity within the U.S. Government. This agency currently houses the world's largest, accredited skeletal identification laboratory in the world, in terms of the size of the scientific staff, global mission, and number of annual identifications. Traditional forensic anthropology is used for the formation of a biological profile (biological sex, stature, population affinity/ancestry, and age) as well as trauma and pathologies that may be compared with historical records and personnel files. Since World War II, various scientists associated with DoD have conducted base-line research in support of the identification of U.S. war dead, including, but not limited to, histology, the use of chest radiography and clavicle comparison, and statistical models to deal with commingling issues. The primary goal of the identification process of the Scientific Analysis Directorate is to use all available historical, field, and forensic methods to establish the most robust and defendable identification as scientifically and legally possible.

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A Large‐Sample Test of a Semi‐Automated Clavicle Search Engine to Assist Skeletal Identification by Radiograph Comparison

Cited by 11 publications

References 29 publications

Infra‐cranial radiographic comparison for human identification: A study of analyst expertise

Infra‐cranial radiographic comparison for human identification: A study of analyst expertise

The Korean War Identification Project: 30 years of expanding scope and complexity in the accounting of American war dead

The role of forensic anthropological techniques in identifying America's war dead from past conflicts

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