ArticleEuropean radiology2020
Forensic age estimation in living adolescents with CT imaging of the clavicula-impact of low-dose scanning on readers' confidence.
Article in European radiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Validity of age estimation methods and reproducibility of bone/dental maturity indices for chronological age estimation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of validation studies.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- MRI-based cervical ring apophysis maturation: a probabilistic approach to legal age thresholds.International journal of legal medicine · 2026Article
- Radiation dose reduction through short scan protocols and arms-out positioning in clavicular CT for forensic age estimation.International journal of legal medicine · 2026Article
- Forensic age estimation using Dedouit classification in adolescents of the Southwestern Chinese Han population based on the knee MRI.International journal of legal medicine · 2025Article
- CT of the medial clavicular epiphysis for forensic age estimation - raised arms position recommended.International journal of legal medicine · 2025Article
- Three-Dimensional Measurements of Sphenoid Sinus Size by Sex in a Korean Population: An Exploratory Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Forensic age estimation of adolescents using computed tomography of the clavicles.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Article
- Age assessment in unaccompanied minors: assessing uniformity of protocols across Europe.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Article
- Comparing a common clavicle maturation-based age estimation method to ordinary regression analyses with quadratic and sex-specific interaction terms in adolescents.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Classifying age from medial clavicle using a 30-year threshold: An image analysis based approach.PloS one · 2024Article
- Forensic Age Estimation: A Multifactorial Approach in a Retrospective Population Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Pediatric age estimation from thoracic and abdominal CT scout views using deep learning.Scientific reports · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesComputed tomography (CT) imaging of the clavicula displays the reference standard for forensic bone age diagnostics in adolescents and young adults. Consequently, highest efforts on radiation reduction are warranted. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of low-dose (LD) CT imaging of the clavicula for age estimation in living adolescents.
methodsA total of 207 non-contrast chest CT of 144 patients born between 1988 and 2012, performed in 2018 due to various clinical indications, were included in this retrospective study. The mean patient age was 16.9 ± 6.6 years. Patients were divided into a LD (n = 146) and standard-dose (SD; n = 61) group. Image quality, confidence levels, and ossification stages (using the 5-stage classification including the subgroups 2a-3c) were assessed by two radiologists independently. Radiation dose was determined via dosimetry software.
resultsDose simulation with z-axis reduction to depict the clavicula only resulted in a median exposure of 0.1 mSv (IQR: 0.0) in LD compared with 0.9 mSv (IQR: 0.6) in SD (p < 0.001). The median image quality was rated by both readers significantly worse in LD compared with SD on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4 with a median of 3 (IQR: 1) versus 4 (IQR: 0; p < 0.001 for both readers). There was an almost perfect agreement for the ossification stages between both readers with a Cohen's kappa of 0.83 (p < 0.001). Median confidence levels of both readers were not significantly different between LD and SD in the decisive subgroups 2a-3c.
conclusionsLow-dose CT imaging of the clavicula for age estimation in living adolescents is possible without loss of readers' confidence. KEY POINTS: • Radiological bone age diagnostics in young delinquents with unknown exact chronological age is important as the judicial systems differentiate between youths and adults. • Low-dose computed tomography scanning of the medial clavicular joint for forensic age estimation is feasible in living adolescents without loss of readers' confidence. • Sufficient image quality of the medial clavicular joint for forensic bone age diagnostics in living adolescents is achievable using a median dose of 0.1 mSv.
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