Rachel Lima Ribeiro Tinoco

Age Estimation by Measurements of Developing Teeth: Accuracy of Cameriere’s Method on a Brazilian Sample

Abstract:  Developing teeth are commonly the criteria used for age estimation in children and young adults. The method developed by Cameriere et al. (Int J Legal Med 2006;120:49‐52) is based on measures of teeth with open apex, and application of a formula, to estimate chronological age of children. The present study evaluated a sample of panoramic radiographs from Brazilian children from 5 to 15 years of age, to evaluate the accuracy of the method proposed by Cameriere et al. The results has proven the system reliable for age estimation, with a median residual error of −0.014 years between chronological and estimated ages (p = 0.603). There was a slight tendency to overestimate the ages of 5–10 years and underestimate the ages of 11–15 years.

A new approach for the analysis of facial growth and age estimation: Iris ratio

The study of facial growth is explored in many fields of science, including anatomy, genetics, and forensics. In the field of forensics, it acts as a valuable tool for combating child pornography. The present research proposes a new method, based on relative measurements and fixed references of the human face—specifically considering measurements of the diameter of the iris (iris ratio)—for the analysis of facial growth in association with age in children and sub-adults. The experimental sample consisted of digital photographs of 1000 Brazilian subjects, aged between 6 and 22 years, distributed equally by sex and divided into five specific age groups (6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 year olds ± one month). The software package SAFF-2D® (Forensic Facial Analysis System, Brazilian Federal Police, Brazil) was used for positioning 11 landmarks on the images. Ten measurements were calculated and used as fixed references to evaluate the growth of the other measurements for each age group, as well the accumulated growth (6–22 years old). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was applied for the evaluation of intra-examiner and inter-examiner reliability within a specific set of images. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to assess the association between each measurement taken and the respective age groups. ANOVA and Post-hoc Tukey tests were used to search for statistical differences between the age groups. The outcomes indicated that facial structures grow with different timing in children and adolescents. Moreover, the growth allometry expressed in this study may be used to understand what structures have more or less proportional variation in function for the age ranges studied. The diameter of the iris was found to be the most stable measurement compared to the others and represented the best cephalometric measurement as a fixed reference for facial growth ratios (or indices). The method described shows promising potential for forensic applications, especially as part of the armamentarium against crimes involving child pornography and child abuse.

Dental anthropology of a Brazilian sample: Frequency of nonmetric traits

Dental elements are valuable tools in a study of ancient populations and species, and key-features for human identification; among the dental anthropology field, nonmetric traits, standardized by ASUDAS, are closely related to ancestry. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of six nonmetric traits in a sample from Southeast Brazil, composed by 130 dental casts from individuals aged between 18 and 30, without foreign parents or grandparents. A single examiner observed the presence or absence of shoveling, Carabellis cusp, fifth cusp, 3-cusped UM2, sixth cusp, and 4-cusped LM2. The frequencies obtained were different from the ones shown by other researches to Amerindian and South American samples, and related to European and sub-Saharan frequencies, showing the influence of this groups in the current Brazilian population. Sexual dimorphism was found in the frequencies of Carabellis cusp, 3-cusped UM2, and sixth cusp.

Sex Determination from Occipital Condylar Measurements by Baudoin Index in Forensic Purposes

En la identificacion de personas con fines forenses el sexo es una de las caracteristicas mas importantes y primordiales a evaluar en cada caso. El indice condilar Baudoin es un metodo de determinacion del sexo basado en mediciones de la longitud y la anchura del condilo occipital. El objetivo de esta investigacion fue aplicar el indice condilar de Baudoin para la determinacion del sexo, y evaluar su fiabilidad. La muestra fue compuesta de 100 craneos humanos brasilenos, 50 hombres y 50 mujeres del cementerio Sao Goncalo, ciudad de Cuiaba, Brasil. Los valores de medicion se analizaron estadisticamente con el fin de comparar la tasa de coincidencia para cada sexo, cada lado, ademas de la media general. Los resultados mostraron que el porcentaje general de exito en la aplicacion del indice de Baudoin fue de 44,83% para los hombres y 51,93% para las mujeres, lo que asciende a una coincidencia del 47,5%. La precision del indice de Baudoin para la determinacion del sexo fue bastante baja para esta muestra brasilena, por lo que este metodo debe ser considerado como criterio para determinar el sexo de los craneos en un contexto forense.

Violence against women: caracteristics of head and neck injuries

ABSTRACT ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics of aggression in head and neck regions suffered by women who are victims of gender violence, and to analyze the variation in the number of cases before and after the enactment of the Maria da Penha Law. MethodsA survey was conducted on the records of examinations of personal injury made in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Vitoria, in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. The study included women victims of bodily injury, referred as a result of domestic, family or conjugal violence, aged between 11 and 80. ResultsThe number of cases analyzed in this study exhibited an oscillation during the years studied. The results reveal that female victims are, in most cases, young, aged between 20 and 30, single and do not work outside the home. The victim’s husband or partner was the main offender, mostly using parts of the body, like the hands and feet, as the means of aggression. The most frequent craniofacial injuries were ecchymosis and abrasions, more often in orbital, cervical and frontal regions. ConclusionsThe characteristics related to violence against women obtained through this study are of great importance and should be highlighted and publicized, to encourage implementation of public policies and practical actions of acceptance and recognition of such violence, including the insertion of the Forensic Dentist on the staff of experts in all Institutes of Forensic Medicine in the country.Indexing terms: Domestic violence. Expert testimony. Facial injuries. Forensic dentistry. Violence against women.

Legal analysis of the information contained in dental plaster packs

Aim: The aims of this study were: a) to verify if the instructions displayed on the packages and labels of dental plaster available for purchase in the city of Porto Alegre are in accordance with the Brazilian laws, and b) to analyze how information is available on packages and labels of dental plaster acquired by dentists. Methods: For this study, it was used the method proposed by Silva et al. (2010) modified, according to which the information related to instructions for product use displayed on packages and labels, if present, provided by manufacturers and/or importers from each brand of plaster was reviewed: how to use, composition, price, expiration date, health risks and disposal instructions. The collected information was subsequently confronted with the requirements laid out in national legislation on trade of dental plaster. Results: No product showed the price or the instructions for disposal. One brand showed no information of the package and another one showed only the composition of the product; this requirement was present in most products. The mode of use and the expiration date were present in almost all packages, except for two brands. Only two brands presented information on health risks, and yet unsatisfactory. Conclusions: The different brands and types of dental plaster analyzed presented some kind of violation of the provisions of the Brazilian legislation, most with missing or unsatisfactory information.