[The use of childbirth alterations of the pubic bone for identification (author's transl)]

This paper discusses whether parturition or the number of parturition events can be determined from certain gross alterations, which are caused by pregnancy and parturition, found around the symphysis area of the pubic bone. The study is based on the analysis of 49 pairs of pubic bones, for which the number of parturitions and/or abortions were known. No criteria were found to be useful for a clear forensic diagnosis. However, this investigation did show a certain probability of correlation between the extension of grooves on the posterior pubic cortex and the number of parturitions. Examples of remarkable misleading conclusions in special cases are given.