Estimation of Forensic Age from Bony Fusion of Distal Femoral and Proximal Tibial Epiphyses by MRI of the Knee

Abstract

To test the relevance of bony fusion of distal femoral and proximal tibial epiphysis by means of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a cross-sectional study was performed to determine the reliability of 16 and 18 years of life. Methodology: We scanned 140 Indian (Bengali) subjects in the age bracket of 3 and 35 using 1.5 T MR-scanner utilising T1 turbo spin-echo sequence representing true bone anatomy, in the Indian Bengali population. Minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation were defined. Bony fusion took place before the 18 year of life. Intraand interobserver agreements were determined by calculating the kappa coefficients. Bony fusion of distal femoral and proximal tibial epiphyses in 1.5 Tesla MRI is useful only to a certain extent in determining age 16 to 17 years of life in both sexes, but completion of 18 year of life cannot be solely determined by MRI from bony fusion of knee.