Abstract: Objectives: To morphologically and radiologically investigate the ossification pattern of petro-occipital
fissure (POP) in dried crania of adults so as to determine the developmental changes and their value in age assessment
and to evaluate its applicability for identification of age and sex of unknown forensic specimens. Materials & Methods:
The study comprised 75 dry skulls (39 males & 36 females) with a mean age of 62.2+15.2 years, at the time of death.
Skulls were staged for ossification at the POF midpoint, i.e., between foramen lacerum (FL) and jugular foramen (JF),
description of the stage of POP ossification was defined numerically from least ossified (stage 1) to complete fissure
ossification (stage 6). Also, plain-film radiographs of 15 cadaveric skulls were taken in the submentovertex position in
order to evaluate the degree of POF ossification The POF ossification pattern was applied for age and sex identification
of 60 skull base parts with known age and sex, collected in Forensic museum. Results: Morphological description of
POF ossification reported stage I ossification in 5 skulls, stage II in 9 skulls, stage III in 11 skulls, stage IV in 17 skulls,
stage V in 26 skulls and only 7 masculine skulls had stage VI ossification. There was a significant increase of the stage
of POF ossification in fissures of masculine skulls in comparison to that detected in feminine tills with a positive
significant conelation between chronological age of examined skulls and determined stage of POF ossification both in
males and females. Such positive correlation was non-significant till fifties and thereafter was significant to reach a
higher significance at above eighties in masculine skulls and return to be non-significant above eighties in feminine
skulls. Analysis of radiographic findings defined the presence or absence of POF ossification in skulls but it was
difficult to tix the anatomical limits of the fissure precisely and the relative degree of POF ossification. Statistical
analysis reveled that the used staged pattern showed specificity fir muscaline skull identification with AUC.704 and
for skull age with AUCI.498, but showed high specificity for older skull remnants. Conclusion: Evaluation of stage of
ossification of POF of dried skulls revealed an age-dependent ossification that started to complete above sixties in both
sexes and become sex-dependent thereafter and that stages of POF ossification could be applied for forensic
identification of sex and age of skull remnants of unknown identity. |
