Applicability of proximal humeral epiphysis ossification for forensic age estimation according to the Vieth method: a 3.0 T MRI study

Abstract

A retrospective study was conducted to explore the possibility of determining the age of majority via examination of the proximal humeral epiphyseal-diaphyseal fusion by 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the Vieth classification. Proximal humeral epiphyses were retrospectively studied on 3.0 T MRI in 315 participants (122 females, 193 males) between 10 and 28 years of age, using T1-weighted turbo spin echo (T1W TSE) and proton density fat-saturated TSE sequence (PD FS TSE). A 5-stage scoring system was used following the method of Vieth et al. The relevant statistics were defined, the intraobserver and interobserver agreements were determined (Cohen's kappa) and the differences between the sexes were analyzed (Mann-Whitney U-test, p < 0.05, exact, two-sided). According to this study, stage 5 and stage 6 made it possible to correctly assess the majority in both sexes by examination of the epiphyses of the shoulder joint. The kappa statistics were a good level of agreement for the interobserver and intraobserver evaluations of the shoulder. There were no significant age differences between males and females in any of the stages (all p-values > 0.05). The Vieth classification provides important information in determining whether a person has reached the age of 18 years or not in both sexes through 3.0 T MRI of the shoulder joint.