నైరూప్య

Study of 1st Costal Cartilage Calcification on Radiographs in South Indian Population as an Indicator of Age of Human-Beings

Pushpa MS, Roopa Kulkarni, and C Sheshgiri

Progressive calcification of costal cartilages exhibits age and sex distinctive pattern, hence it can be used in the identification of age and sex in living or from skeletal remains. Though the chest radiographs are routinely and extensively examined, costal cartilage calcification has not received a major attention in Radiology literature, more so in relation to age. In the present study on costal cartilage calcification in radiographs, various parameters, have been taken and elaborately analyzed to find the influence of age and sex on patterns of costal cartilage calcification. Some of these parameters have been found very useful, one of which is calcification of first costal cartilages which exhibit a definite pattern in relation to age. Therefore, this study will be useful for Anatomists, experts in forensic medicine and for physical anthropologists to determine the age and sex of an individual from the radiographs and skeletal remains of costal cartilages after the death.