Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2025
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Sex determination and age estimation method using the trabecular structure of the third cervical vertebral body by
Akihiro Ochiai1, Atsushi Iwawaki1, Yusei Otaka2
1Division of Forensic Odontology, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences, Meikai University School of Dentistry, Saitama, Japan.
Objectives:
This study aimed to develop sex determination and age estimation equations using the trabecular structure of the third cervical vertebra from head and neck computed tomography (CT) images by analyzing bone microarchitecture.
Methods:
Trabecular bone structure was analyzed in a centrally located region of interest (ROI) within the third cervical vertebral body (C3) using CT scans from 132 Japanese adults (66 males and 66 females). Three primary measurements were taken: total vertebral volume (Tissue Volume, TV; mm3), trabecular bone volume (Bone Volume, BV; mm3), and trabecular bone surface area (Bone Surface, BS; mm2). Bone volume fraction (BV/TV; %) was calculated as a bone density index. Additional parameters-bone surface-to-volume ratio (BS/TV; mm2/mm3), bone surface-to-bone volume ratio (BS/BV; mm2/mm3), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th; μm), and trabecular number (Tb.N; 1/mm)-were measured. Sex differences were evaluated, and a logistic regression model was developed for sex determination. Age estimation equations were created for the total sample and by sex.
Results:
Males had larger TV, BV, and BS than females. The sex determination model achieved 80.0 % accuracy. BV/TV declined with age, especially in females, while TV showed an increasing trend in males. Age estimation was more accurate for females (mean absolute error [MAE]: 11.67 years) than that for males (MAE: 14.15 years). Sex-related differences reflect skeletal variation and suggest menopause-associated bone loss may explain female model performance.
Conclusions:
C3 trabecular structure offers forensic potential for both sex and age prediction. The developed models may contribute to individual identification by providing biologically meaningful estimations.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
01:16Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form...
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:20Introduction to the Skeletal System
Components of the Skeletal System
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a hard connective tissue that forms an internal support structure for the human body. Bones shield vulnerable organs and soft tissue from external forces. For example, the vertebral bones protect and support the spinal cord.
Cartilage, a semi-rigid connective tissue found in regions such as...
02:45The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
01:16Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...