Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Validating the AFA3D forensic method using live CT data: A multiregional comparison of approximated and original faces.

Forensic science international·2026
Same author

A computed tomography (CT) study of the eyeball position and estimation models for craniofacial identification.

International journal of legal medicine·2026
Same author

Mean human corneal diameter and palpebral fissure lengths as scales for forensic analysis of photographed faces: an analytical review.

International journal of legal medicine·2026
Same author

Correlations of facial soft tissue thicknesses with craniometric dimensions improve craniofacial identification estimates: Fact or fiction?

Journal of forensic sciences·2024
Same author

The Critical Photographic Variables Contributing to Skull-Face Superimposition Methods to Assist Forensic Identification of Skeletons: A Review.

Journal of imaging·2024
Same author

Cervicothoracic junction in disaster victim identification: Idiosyncrasies and relevance of body position for advanced chest radiograph comparisons.

Journal of forensic sciences·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration
05:05

Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration

Published on: November 23, 2019

8.6K

Human Identification via Lateral Patella Radiographs: A Validation Study.

Emily Niespodziewanski1, Carl N Stephan2,3, Pierre Guyomarc'h2

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, 354 Baker Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824.

Journal of Forensic Sciences
|August 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Patella outline shape effectively matches 3D scans to knee radiographs for identification. This research confirms the value of patella shape in forensic identification using radiographic comparison.

Keywords:
Daubertcomparative radiologyelliptical Fourier analysisforensic anthropologyforensic sciencegeometric morphometricshuman remainsvalidation

More Related Videos

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis
06:28

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis

Published on: September 2, 2025

2.0K
In Vivo Quantification of Hip Arthrokinematics during Dynamic Weight-bearing Activities using Dual Fluoroscopy
07:43

In Vivo Quantification of Hip Arthrokinematics during Dynamic Weight-bearing Activities using Dual Fluoroscopy

Published on: July 2, 2021

3.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration
05:05

Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration

Published on: November 23, 2019

8.6K
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis
06:28

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis

Published on: September 2, 2025

2.0K
In Vivo Quantification of Hip Arthrokinematics during Dynamic Weight-bearing Activities using Dual Fluoroscopy
07:43

In Vivo Quantification of Hip Arthrokinematics during Dynamic Weight-bearing Activities using Dual Fluoroscopy

Published on: July 2, 2021

3.7K

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Anthropology
  • Radiology
  • Biometrics

Background:

  • Human identification from skeletal remains is crucial in forensic science.
  • Radiographic comparison of bones is a valuable tool for identification.
  • Patella (kneecap) morphology offers unique characteristics for individualization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of patella outline shape for matching 3D scans to knee radiographs.
  • To compare quantitative (elliptical Fourier analysis) and subjective (visual) methods for patella identification.
  • To assess the effectiveness of patella shape in human identification via radiographic comparison.

Main Methods:

  • Captured repeat knee radiographs of cadavers for visual comparison.
  • Extracted and skeletonized patellae for quantitative analysis.
  • Utilized elliptical Fourier analysis for quantitative shape comparison.
  • Conducted subjective visual comparisons by human analysts.

Main Results:

  • Quantitative methods significantly narrowed candidate matches to <5% of the sample.
  • Human analysts achieved high accuracy (positive predictive value = 99.8%) in matching radiographs.
  • Computerized matching based on patella outline shape proved effective.

Conclusions:

  • Patella outline shape is a potent trait for human identification using radiographic comparison.
  • Quantitative analysis of patella shape complements subjective visual assessment.
  • This study supports the use of isolated infracranial bones for identification purposes.