[Estimation of age from soft X-ray findings of lumbar vertebrae using image processing]

The age changes that occur in human trabecular bone were examined by calculating the bone density in the soft X-ray films taken from the 3rd lumbar vertebra with an image processing system. The samples were obtained from 177 adult corpses (98 males and 69 females). Loss of the trabecular bone density was found in and after the age group of 30s in both sexes, especially in the age group of 50s in female the decrease in bone density was remarkable. The bone density scattered widely in all age groups, even in the young group. The wide dispersion of bone density in the same age group may produce some unreliable results for estimating the age, so this estimation method should cautiously be applied to actual identification cases.