OBJECTIVE: To study the current development of hand-wrist bones of adolescents in China, and establish special forensic bony age standard for estimating 14 years of criminal responsible age in female adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and ten healthy girls aged from 13 years and 9 months to 14 years and 3 months in Lengshuijiang district of Hunan province were enrolled in this study. X-ray films of their left hand-wrists were taken dorsaventrally, and 15 sites on the wrist x-ray films were examined and measured under standard condition. The development grade was confirmed by maximal percentage to establish a method to estimate the bony age, which was then checked by single blind method. RESULTS: Development grade of the radius, the middle third phalanx and the fourth phalanx was partially closed (> 2/3), and the rest was wholly-closed with existence of the epiphyseal line. The development grade of the middle third phalanx and fourth phalanx was different between the younger group (< 14 years, partially closed, > 2/3) and the older group (> 14 years, mostly closed with existence of only epiphyseal line). The cross diameter of the osteoepiphysises were wider than that of all the diaphysises. The confirmed accuracy (in 30 girls) was 83.3%. CONCLUSION Our study seemes to be feasible in establishing the estimation standard for bony age determination. The standard established by developmental metaphysis and authropometry may be particularly helpful in forensic practice for estimation of accurate criminal responsible age in adolescents.
Adolescent ; Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Epiphyses/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology/methods* ; Hand Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Radius/diagnostic imaging* ; Reference Standards ; Wrist/diagnostic imaging*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the maturation of individual bones on the hand and wrist in children with central precocious puberty (CPP) and idiopathic short stature (ISS).

METHODSHand and wrist films of 25 children with CPP, 29 children with ISS and 21 normal controls were evaluated by conventional Greulich-Pyle (GP) atlas method and individual bone assessment method, in which all twenty bones of the hand and wrist were evaluated based on GP atlas, including 2 radius and ulna, 7 carpal bones, 11 metacarpal and phalangeal bones, the average bone age (BA) was calculated. The differences in groups were analyzed by independent samples t test. The differences between the two methods were analyzed by paired sample t test. The differences between BA and chronological age (CA) were analyzed by ROC with SPSS 17.0.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the advance of BA in the CPP group was 0.70-2.26 y (1.48 ±0.78) by the GP atlas method, while that was 0.28-2.00 y(1.14 ±0.86) by the individual bone evaluation method. In all twenty bones, the advance of metacarpal and phalangeal BA was the greatest [0.34-2.06 y(1.2±0.86)]. In the ISS group,the delay of BA was 0.47-2.91 y(-1.69±1.22) by the GP atlas method, while that was 0.48-2.50 y (-1.49±1.01) by individual bone evaluation method.The delay of carpal BA was the greatest [0.59-2.73 y(-1.66±1.07)] in all twenty bones. In the ISS group and the normal control group, there were no statistic differences between the two methods. In the CPP group, statistic difference was found between two methods. There were no statistic differences for the areas under ROC curves between two methods.

CONCLUSIONThe advance of metacarpal and phalangeal BA is the greatest in CPP group and the delay of carpal BA is the greatest in ISS group.Both methods provide diagnostic information for bone age in CPP and ISS children.

Age Determination by Skeleton ; methods ; Carpal Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Dwarfism ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Hand ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Puberty, Precocious ; diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVE: To study the accurate of Li Guozhen's Percent Numeration and the Development Standard of Chinese Wrist Bone CHN Numeration of age estimation in 14-year-old females. METHODS: Fifty-one 14-year-old females from three middle schools in Loudi City in Hunan were selected randomly, whose left wrists were photographed with X-rays under the same condition. Skeletal age was estimated following the two numerations. The two skeletal ages were compared with each other and with chronological age. RESULTS: The skeletal age from Percent Numeration and CHN Numeration have no significance difference, P > 0.05. And the skeletal ages of the two Numerations have no significance difference either, P > 0.05. CONCLUSION The Percent Numeration and the CHN Numeration are still suited for age estimation in 14-year-old females.
Adolescent ; Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Age Factors ; Body Mass Index ; Carpal Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; China ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology/methods* ; Hand Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Metacarpal Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Reference Values

OBJECTIVE: To research the connection of the minor's bone age and chronological age and age for penal responsibility, to discuss the application of Gu's Atlas and Li Guozhen's Percent Numeration to measure the bone age in the cases of immature criminals and the applying value. METHODS: 33 healthy youths, 12-19 years old, were selected, whose left wrists were photographed with X-rays. According to the radiographic appearance of the maturity indicators, the bone age of every person was determined respectively by the Gu's Atlas and Li Guozhen's Percent Numeration, and then compared with his/her chronological age. CMH test and Pearson test were used to evaluate precision and accuracy on concluding the immature age for penal responsibility. RESULTS: Li Guozhen's Percent Numeration was more precise than Gu's Atlas on extrapolating the chronological age of the youth, P<0.005. On extrapolating the age for penal responsibility, the accuracy of the former was 90.91%, and the latter was 78.79%, but the statistic result did not show significant difference (P>0.1). CONCLUSION Both measurements can apply in determining the criminal cases of immature youths.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Child ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology/methods* ; Hand/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Male ; Metacarpal Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Wrist/diagnostic imaging*

The traditional methods of skeletal age estimation mainly include Numeration, Atlas, and Counting scores. In recent years, other new methods were proposed by several scholars. Utilizing image logical characteristics of X-ray film to extrapolate skeletal age is a key means by present forensic medicine workers in evaluating skeletal age. However, there exist some variations when we present the conclusion of skeletal age as an "evidence" directly to the Justice Trial Authority. In order to enhance the accuracy of skeletal age determination, further investigation for appropriate methodology should be undertaken. After a collective study of pertinent domestic and international literatures, we present this review of the research and advancement on skeletal age evaluation methods of X-ray film.
Age Determination by Skeleton/trends* ; Carpal Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Elbow/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Hand Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Male ; Radius/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; X-Ray Film

Age estimation by the measurement method is to get the data such as the length, width, thickness, area of the ossification center, transverse diameter of the metaphysis, transverse diameter of osteoepiphysis, width of the epiphyseal line and the ratio between the diaph and the epiphyseal, by measuring the different bones of human in different ages with the radiological technology and to explore the relationship between these data and the life age by statistics. According to the relationships the personal life age may be estimated. In this article the measurement methods above mentioned and its application in age estimation were reviewed.
Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Bone Development/physiology* ; Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Femur/diagnostic imaging* ; Forensic Anthropology/methods* ; Hand Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Humerus/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; X-Ray Film

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and therapy of Keutel syndrome, and thereby to minimize the misdiagnosis.

METHODData of a case of Keutel syndrome diagnosed at the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University were analyzed and related literature were reviewed.

RESULTAn 8-month-26-day-old boy was presented with inspiratory and expiratory stridor and wheezing after movement on lung auscultation. His craniofacial appearance was characterized by midfacial hypoplasia with a broad depressed nasal bridge. The nose was small and flat. A grade 2-3/6 systolic murmur was heard between the second and third ribs at left edge of the sternum. The end phalanges of his fingers were thickened. Chest radiograph showed tracheobronchial cartilage calcification and tracheobronchial stenosis. Echocardiographic examination revealed the right pulmonary stenosis. With endoscopic surgery, antiobstructive and antibiotic therapy clinical symptoms were improved. Three weeks later he died of lung reinfection after he was discharged from our hospital. English literature search with "Keutel syndrome" as the key word at "PubMed" showed 22 articles covering 26 patients, and the clinical symptoms were hearing loss (91%), persistent respiratory symptoms (68%), recurrent otitis media/sinusitis (67%), growth development delay (52%) in turn, and signs were brachytelephalangism (100%), low nasal bridge (95%), midfacial hypoplasia (93%), cardiac murmur (69%), and auxiliary examinations showed abnormal cartilage calcification (100%), pulmonary arterial stenosis (72%), tracheobronchial stenosis (50%).

CONCLUSIONThe diagnosis of Keutel syndrome should be considered in patients with brachytelephalangism, abnormal cartilage calcification, peripheral pulmonary stenosis, and midfacial hypoplasia. Tracheal stenosis was main clinical manifestation in part of patients.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Bone and Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; Calcinosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Cartilage ; diagnostic imaging ; Cartilage Diseases ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hand Deformities, Congenital ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tracheal Stenosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging