Reconsideration of bone postmortem interval estimation by UV-induced autofluorescence

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Biomolecular Analysis
• Skeletal Biology

Background:

• UV-fluorescence of bone is a proposed method for estimating postmortem interval (PMI).
• The underlying causes and diagnostic significance of bone fluorescence in relation to PMI remain debated.
• Categorization of fluorescent properties and their correlation with skeletal age require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the diagnostic utility of UV-fluorescence for differentiating historical and recent skeletal remains.
• To assess the correlation between bone UV-fluorescence characteristics and known postmortem intervals.
• To determine the efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity of fluorescence-based methods for forensic age estimation.

Main Methods:

• Examined UV-fluorescence of over 200 bone samples with established postmortem intervals.
• Analyzed fluorescence color and intensity in relation to PMI.
• Calculated test efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity for fluorescence color-based assessments.

Main Results:

• A correlation was observed between PMI and bone fluorescence color, but not fluorescence intensity.
• Blue fluorescence, alone or with other colors, did not reliably indicate sample age.
• Overall yellow fluorescence showed potential for identifying historical specimens, though with a 2% false exclusion rate.

Conclusions:

• Bone UV-fluorescence color, particularly yellow, may offer clues to skeletal age but is not definitive.
• Fluorescence intensity is not a reliable indicator of postmortem interval.
• UV-fluorescence properties alone are insufficient for excluding or including specimens in forensic investigations.