Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39990697›Full record

ReviewForensic sciences research2025

A review of methods of age estimation based on postmortem computed tomography.

Marta Barszcz, Krzysztof Jerzy Woźniak

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Forensic sciences research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Marta BarszczDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5785-6203
Krzysztof Jerzy WoźniakDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8114-414X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Age at death is one of the key elements of the "biological profile" prepared when analysing unidentified human remains. Biological age is determined according to physiological indicators and developmental stage, which can be determined by bone assessment. It is worth remembering that the researcher must interpret each case individually and in accordance with the current state of knowledge. One of the most developed tools for analysing human remains is postmortem computed tomography. This allows for the visualization not only of bones without maceration but also of the entire body under various altered states, including corpses in advanced stages of decomposition and burnt bodies. The aim of this review is to present the current methods for age estimation based on postmortem computed tomography evaluation, comparing the results presented in 18 research projects published between 2013 and 2023 on foetuses, children, and adults from contemporary populations. Recent literature includes assessment of bones and characteristics such as skulls, teeth, vertebrae, pelvises, and long bones to estimate age at death. We cover the methods used in this recent literature, including machine learning, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of them. Key points: Postmortem computed tomography allows the analysis of several areas of the body at the same time, which may not be possible in the case of clinical trials (where the examination area should be limited).Postmortem computed tomography may enable the collection of data from people whose clinical examinations are relatively rare (e.g., pregnant women, children).Artificial intelligence should increasingly be used in studies on age estimation.Further research on modern populations is necessary to verify and refine the methods used to estimate age at death.

Indexed as

age estimationforensic imagingpostmortem computed tomography

Identifiers

PMID39990697
PMCPMC11839505

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