Age estimation based on maturation of the medial clavicular epiphysis in a Japanese population using multidetector computed tomography.

To estimate forensic age, the Study Group of Forensic Age Diagnostics of the German Association of Forensic Medicine (AGFAD) has recommended the radiological investigation of the medial clavicular epiphysis (MCE). This study aimed to investigate the relation between the maturation of the MCE and age in a contemporary Japanese population using a standard five-stage system by Schmeling et al. and Kellinghaus substage system. A total of 207 cadavers (128 males, 79 females) of known age and sex that underwent postmortem computed tomography (CT) and subsequent forensic autopsy were obtained. The earliest appearance for stage 3c was 18.1 years in the male subjects and 18.4 years in the female subjects. Our results were consistent with those in previous studies and indicate that stage 3c is crucial for medico-legal processes in evaluating age in various countries. Similar studies on the staging of the MCE using CT images in other populations, particularly in Asians, are required.