Age Estimation through Analysis of Suture Synostosis in Forensic Practice: A Mini Review

Abstract

Age estimation is essential in forensic sciences. The examination of neurocranium suture closure, along with other methods, is used to estimate age in skeletal remains. The aim of this review was to identify in the literature methods used through neurocranial sutures for estimating age and analyze the recommendations by its researchers. One electronic research database, Pubmed, was investigated using the following restricted keywords: “age estimation”, “suture” and “forensic”. A search was conducted in March 2024 resulting in 12 articles being included in the final review. The articles were published between 2010 and 2024. Many studies recommend combining suture age estimation with other methods to improve accuracy in both dry skulls and CT scans, as cranial suture results alone are often insufficient. There is still no consensus on the endocranial versus ectocranial evaluation of sutures, with researchers calling for further studies. Population characteristics also affect results, highlighting the need for broader research. Despite its limitations, cranial suture closure remains valuable, with new technologies offering potential improvements.

Keywords

Age estimation / Suture / Synostosis / Forensic

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: A.R.F., A.C.R.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation: F.S.d.J., A.C.R., B.C.F.-P., L.N.O.W.; Writing—Review & Editing: A.R.F., A.C.R., B.C.F.-P., L.N.O.W., F.B.P.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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