Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30617494›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2019

Forensic age estimation based on T1 SE and VIBE wrist MRI: do a one-fits-all staging technique and age estimation model apply?

Jannick De Tobel, Elke Hillewig, Michiel Bart de Haas, Bram Van Eeckhout, Steffen Fieuws, Patrick Werner Thevissen, Koenraad Luc Verstraete

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Article in European radiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Forensic Age Estimation of the Knee with 3D MEDIC MRI.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jannick De TobelDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. jannick.detobel@ugent.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8846-7339
Elke HillewigDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Michiel Bart de HaasDepartment of Forensic Anthropology, Netherlands Forensic Institute, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
Bram Van EeckhoutDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Steffen FieuwsDepartment Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven - University of Leuven & Universiteit Hasselt, I-BioStat, Leuven, Belgium.
Patrick Werner ThevissenDepartment of Imaging and Pathology - Forensic Odontology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Koenraad Luc VerstraeteDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesProviding recommendations for wrist MRI in age estimation by determining (1) which anatomical structures to include in the statistical model, (2) which MRI sequence to conduct, and (3) which staging technique to apply.

methodsRadius and ulna were prospectively studied on 3 T MRI in 363 healthy Caucasian participants (185 females, 178 males) between 14 and 26 years old, using T1 spin echo (SE) and T1 gradient echo VIBE. Bone development was assessed applying a 5-stage staging technique with several amelioration attempts to optimise staging. A Bayesian model rendered point predictions of age and diagnostic indices to discern minors from adults.

resultsAll approaches rendered similar results, with none of them outperforming the others. A single bone assessment of radius or ulna sufficed. SE and VIBE sequences were both suitable, but needed sequence-specific age estimation. A one-fits-all 5-stage staging technique-with substages in stage 3-was suitable and did not benefit from profound substaging. Age estimation based on SE radius resulted in a mean absolute error of 1.79 years, a specificity (correctly identified minors) of 93%, and a discrimination slope of 0.640.

conclusionRadius and ulna perform similarly to estimate age, and so do SE and VIBE. A one-fits-all staging technique can be applied. KEY POINTS: • Radius and ulna perform similarly to estimate age. • SE and VIBE perform similarly, but age estimation should be based on the corresponding sequence-specific reference data. • A one-fits-all 5-stage staging technique with substages 3a, 3b, and 3c can be applied to both bones and both sequences.

Indexed as

Bayes TheoremAdolescentAdultAge Determination by SkeletonFemaleForensic AnthropologyHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleRadiusReproducibility of ResultsUlnaWristYoung AdultAdolescentAdultAge determination by skeletonMagnetic resonance imagingWrist

Identifiers

PMID30617494

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.