Jinesh Parambathettu Sasidharan1, Zachariah Thomas2
BACKGROUND
Biological identity is one of the first things to be established when analysing skeletal, badly decomposed or otherwise unidentified human remains. The determination of age at death is an important component of identity establishment. Pubic symphysis examination is one of the reliable methods of age estimation. We attempt to determine the age of deceased from pubic symphysis using Suchey-Brooks method and to find the accuracy of Suchey-Brooks method in our population. From among the cases brought for autopsy at Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, from 01/03/2012 to 28/02/2013, 316 cases were included in the study. Their pubic symphysis were harvested. Age determined using Suchey-Brooks method and compared with their chronological age.
The aim of the study is to-
1. Determine the age of deceased from pubic symphysis using Suchey-Brooks method.
2. Compare the age determined by Suchey-Brooks method and chronological age and find the accuracy of Suchey-Brooks method in our population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Design- Descriptive study- Cross-sectional study, Centre of Study- Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam, Study Sample- From the cases brought for medicolegal postmortem examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, a sample of 316 cases were selected. To make the distribution among various age groups, even the total sample divided for the age group, which resulted in having 60 samples per age group. Age groups were considered as Group 1- Age between 18-25 years; Group 2- Age between 25-35 years; Group 3- Age between 35-45 years; Group 4- Age between 45-55 years; Group 5- Age between 55-65 years.
Inclusion Criteria- 1. Cases with known age; 2. Cases whose age between 18 and 65 years.
Exclusion Criteria- 1. Unknown cases; 2. Known cases with doubtful age; 3. Individuals having pubic bone trauma involving the symphysis; 4. Individuals displaying pelvic pathologies affecting pelvic girdle.
Tools-
1. Structured proforma, it is used to gather sociodemographic details of the subjects and to record the physical examination findings.
2. Suchey-Brooks method of age estimation from pubic symphysis.
RESULTS
Out of the 316 cases, 243 were males and 73 were females. In males, highest number of cases falls in phase 5 and lowest in phase 1 of Suchey-Brooks system. In females, highest number of cases falls in phase 1 and lowest in phase 3. Relief of the symphyseal surface, delimitation, symphyseal rim and pubic tubercle were found to be reliable indicators in estimating age from pubic symphysis. In males, when means of my study was compared with that of Suchey-Brooks method, it was found that means differ in less than 4 years in all phases except in phase 4. In females, in all phases, differences between the mean ages of our population and the Suchey-Brooks series were less than three years. Age estimation by Suchey-Brooks method is comparatively reliable in individuals up to 30 years of age, but less reliable at higher ages. Suchey-Brooks method can be applied for both sexes in our population.
CONCLUSION
Following conclusions could be drawn from the study results- Relief of the symphyseal surface, delimitation, symphyseal rim and pubic tubercle to be reliable indicators in estimating age from pubic symphyseal surface using Suchey-Brooks method. All six phases of Suchey-Brooks method can be applied in our population. Suchey-Brooks method can be applied for both sexes. Caution should be exercised while applying Suchey-Brooks method to cases falling in phase 4. Suchey-Brooks method is reliable in individuals up to 30 years of age, but less reliable at higher ages. Race and environmental factors does not seem to play a significant role in morphological changes in the pubic symphysis.
