Age Estimation Theory
A study into the use of micro-CT to ascertain the age at death of an individual.
Introduction
Age Estimation
Often upon the discovery of skeletal remains, one of the most important steps in producing a biological profile of the deceased is to estimate a probable age-at-death range, the sex, ethnicity and stature of the individual (Franklin 2010). There are many different methods of doing this, depending on whether the skeleton is juvenile or adult.
When aging a juvenile skeleton, there are many methods that can be used such as the length of long bones or dental eruption (Garvin et al, 2012). These can be used with a certain degree of reliability, in particular the development of the dentition is reported to be the least effected by environmental factors, and therefore considered the most preferable method of age determination for a juvenile skeleton (Scheur and Black, 2000). Markers of adulthood include the full fusion of the …show more content…
As this type of investigation becomes more common it is often used in medical research into areas such as osteoporosis (Bruker micro-CT). By using a micro-CT, it is possible to investigate the micro-architecture of trabecular bone (Rüegsegger et al, 1996). Trabecular bone can be assessed by calculating morphometric indices which includes, but is not limited to, the bone volume fraction (BV/TV), the trabecular number (Tb.N), and the trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) (Bouxsein et al, 2010). Bouxsein et al (2010) define these terms as follows:The BV/TV can be obtained by calculating the ratio of segmented bone volume to the total volume of bone within the region of interest; The Tb.N is a measure of the mean number of trabeculae per each unit length, usually 1/mm; Trabecular thickness refers to the mean thickness of trabeculae within the area of
Introduction
Age Estimation
Often upon the discovery of skeletal remains, one of the most important steps in producing a biological profile of the deceased is to estimate a probable age-at-death range, the sex, ethnicity and stature of the individual (Franklin 2010). There are many different methods of doing this, depending on whether the skeleton is juvenile or adult.
When aging a juvenile skeleton, there are many methods that can be used such as the length of long bones or dental eruption (Garvin et al, 2012). These can be used with a certain degree of reliability, in particular the development of the dentition is reported to be the least effected by environmental factors, and therefore considered the most preferable method of age determination for a juvenile skeleton (Scheur and Black, 2000). Markers of adulthood include the full fusion of the …show more content…
As this type of investigation becomes more common it is often used in medical research into areas such as osteoporosis (Bruker micro-CT). By using a micro-CT, it is possible to investigate the micro-architecture of trabecular bone (Rüegsegger et al, 1996). Trabecular bone can be assessed by calculating morphometric indices which includes, but is not limited to, the bone volume fraction (BV/TV), the trabecular number (Tb.N), and the trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) (Bouxsein et al, 2010). Bouxsein et al (2010) define these terms as follows:The BV/TV can be obtained by calculating the ratio of segmented bone volume to the total volume of bone within the region of interest; The Tb.N is a measure of the mean number of trabeculae per each unit length, usually 1/mm; Trabecular thickness refers to the mean thickness of trabeculae within the area of