A study on the age estimation based on the adult acetabulum in thai population

Abstract

© 2019 Japan Health Sciences University & Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation. Objective: The acetabulum is one of the parts of the os coxa (pelvic bone). It is well preserved in forensic contexts and also a reliable age indicator. The aim of this study was to validate the age estimation from the acetabulum by using the original scoring method of Rissech et al. in a Thai population. Design: Seven variables on the acetabulum by the scoring method were utilized for age estimation. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out on a sample of 200 skeletons (98 males, 102 females) from the Forensic Osteology Research Center (FORC), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. The age ranged between 22-90 years for both sexes. Seven variables on the acetabulum were examined. Results: There were no significant differences between both sexes and sides in age estimation from the acetabulum. Correlation between each variable and the actual age were all significant. The accuracies in Bayes prediction were 66% within 10 years and 71% within 12 years. The inaccuracy of all ages was eight years and tended to underestimate age. Conclusions: The original scoring method of Rissech et al. was performed fairly well in the Thai sample. The maximum accuracy was 71% in a 12-year interval for age estimation. Our study suggests that in order to apply this method on Thai samples, some variables should be modified or developed for better outcomes.