Age of Fusion of Body of Sternum with Manubrium Sterni in both the Genders: A Comparison

Duchania Sunil Kumar^* and Mukta Rani
^*Correspondence: Duchania Sunil Kumar, Department of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India, Tel: +9582028252, Email:

Keywords

Xiphisternum • Sternum • Xiphoid process • Mesoternum • Complete fusion

Introduction

The estimation of age is an integral part of the biological profile employed by forensic anthropologists in order to assist in achieving an identification of an unknown deceased individual. The biological profile consists of sex, age, ancestry, and stature estimations, which can be compared to missing persons reports [1].

Aging in the forensic context is necessary both for the dead and the living. For the dead it is principally to aid identification in creating a biological profile which can then be compared to missing persons. For the living the aim is to solve judicial or civil problems concerning age of minors as regards questions of adoption, imputability, pedopornography and for adults, civil issues on pensionable age and other similar matters for individuals lacking valid identification documents. It should always be borne in mind that, whatever the case is, all a forensic anthropologist or odontologist can do is give the best estimate of biological age regardless of how far it may be from actual chronological age, provided these limits are made clear to judicial authorities [2]. Human identification in postmortem scenarios is fundamental and achieving it is one of the most challenging task [3].

In medicolegal practice, most of the time forensic medicine specialists have to mainly depend upon the bones for establishing the identity. They are often required to determine sex, age and stature of a person from dismembered body parts and bones [4].

The determination of age at death particularly is an important part of physical and forensic anthropology. The exact chronological age of individual at death has assumed importance recently due to dynamic approach now introduced into anthropometric analyses [5]. Over the course of the past decades several age estimation methods were established to serve the needs of practitioners using known age and sex databases or during medicolegal autopsies [6]. These age estimation methods include secondary sexual characteristics, macroscopic examination of dental development and eruption, epiphyseal union of long bones, degeneration of pelvic articular surfaces, sternal rib ends, and cranial sutures, as well as microscopic examination of bone in histological analysis [7].

Case Presentaion

The present study was carried using sternal bones removed during autopsy on a total of 100 cases above the age of 30 years at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. After removal of tissue and maceration, the sternum was examined for degree of fusion.

Results

Comparison between age and grades of fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni in males

Out of total 70 male sternum samples, non-fusion (Grade 0) between mesosternum and manubrium sterni is seen in 42 (60%) cases with mean value of 43.26 and standard deviation of 6.332 with a standard error of ± 0.977. Partial fusion (Grade 1) is seen in 10 (14.2%) samples with a mean value of 51.90, standard deviation of 1.287 and standard error of ± 0.407. Complete fusion (Grade 2) is seen in 18 (25.7%) sternum samples with a mean value of 60.11, standard deviation of 4.664 and standard error of ± 1.099, On comparison between age and grades of fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni in male, the mean value of total males is 61.20, standard deviation is 11.705 and standard error is ± 1.399 with p value 0.0001 (Table 1).

Comparison between age and grades of fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni in females

Out of total 30 female sternum samples non-fusion (Grade 0) between mesosternum and manubrium sterni is seen in 16 (53.3%) cases with mean value of it is 38.81 and standard deviation 7.867 with a standard error of ± 1.967. Partial fusion (Grade 1) is seen in 3 (10%) cases with a mean value of 51.67, standard deviation of 0.577 and standard error of ± 0.333. Complete fusion (Grade 2) is seen in 11 (36.6%) cases with a mean value of 60.13, standard deviation of 8.661 and standard error of ± 2.611. The mean value on comparison of age and grades of fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni in total females is 61.47, standard deviation is 16.158 and standard error is ± 2.950 with p value 0.0001 (Table 2).

Comparison of fusion status of mesosternum with manubrium sterni in male and female

In the present study, in males, mean age of onset of fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni is 53.50 ± 1.500 and complete fusion occurred in 67.11 years ± 0.0001. In females, mean age of onset of fusion is 55.00 years ± 0.0001 and complete fusion occurs with mean value of 68.00 years ± 0.0001. There is statistically insignificant difference in the mean age of onset and fusion of mesosternum with manubrium sterni between males and females (Table 3).

Discussion

The present study is in agreement with study by Wadhawan, et al., who reported negligible difference in age of onset and complete fusion of mesosternum with body of sternum that is onset of fusion in males was 35.1250 ± 0.6409 years and for complete fusion was 58 ± 12.4811 years. In females, mean age for onset of fusion was 35.8333 ± 1.4720 years and for complete fusion was a 53.10 ± 7.2758 year. There was negligible difference in age of onset of fusion in males.

However, Chandrakanth HV 2012 reported differences in ages of fusion of manubrio-mesosternal joint being proportionately commoner in males than females [8].

Conclusion

Majority of sternum samples retrieved from dead bodies of individuals brought for postmortem belonged to 51-60 years’ age group in males and 30- 40 years’ age group in females.

Males (70%) outnumbered the females (30%) in this study. Fusion of xiphisternum starts earlier as compared to fusion of manubrium sterni with mesosternum. Fusion of manubrium sterni with mesosternum starts at 51 years and completely fuses at >60 years.

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