Age estimation using CT images of the pubic symphysis of Lebanese living individuals

Abstract

While the Suchey-Brooks method for age estimation is generally accepted in forensic anthropology, its accuracy varies among different populations. This retrospective cross-sectional study aims to test the reliability of the Suchey-Brooks method using Computed Tomography (CT) scans of pubic symphyses of 155 Lebanese living individuals (76 males and 79 females) aged 17 to 98 years. This study reveals that 94.9 % of the sampled individuals fell within the range of 2 standard deviations from the reference mean for predicted age. Additionally, the study assesses phase assignation, overall bias of 1.29, and overall inaccuracy of 8.09, along with strong intra and inter-observer reliability with weighted Cohen's Kappa (k) 0.901 and 0.82, respectively. Transition analysis was also used to generate new Lebanese age references. The new reference proposed in this study improves the accuracy of age estimation compared to the Suchey-Brooks method when applied to the Lebanese population.

Keywords: Age Estimation; Computed Tomography(CT); Forensic Anthropology; Lebanese Population; Pubic Symphysis; Suchey-Brooks Method.