1Postgraduate, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar
2Professor and HoD, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar
*Corresponding author: Dr. Raj Kumar M G, Postgraduate, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar. Pin Code: 563130. E-mail ID: drraajmbbs@gmail.com. Mobile number: +91 8892712458
Online published on 5 May, 2018.
Age estimation by means of closure of skull sutures is a very important tool to solve complex problem in civil and criminal matters such as identification, senior citizen concession, retirement benefits, competency as witness, attainment of majority, marriage, impotency, sterility, consent, juvenile offender, kidnapping, rape etc.
To find out the pattern of cranial vault suture closure with respect to age from 3rd to 6th decades of life, to document bilateral and gender variations in cranial suture closure and to find out the earliest age of fusion of individual sutures of the skull.
Study design: Cross-sectional descriptive study Study period: December 2014 to June 2016 Sample size: 150. All the autopsy cases, between 21 to 60 years of age were studied for relation between age and cranial suture closure. Ectocranial and endocranial closure pattern were studied for sagittal, coronal and lambdoid sutures.
Endocranial fusion of cranial suture was more regular than ectocranial fusion, and was observed as early as 21–30 years. Coronal suture was the first to fuse. Closure was found earlier in males compared to females.
Cranial suture closure is yet a fairly reliable method for age estimation. Suture obliteration starts earlier on endocranial surface than on the ectocranial surface and there is significant variation in suture closure in male and female (Males showed earlier union than females).
Suture, Sagittal, Coronal, lambdoid, Skull suture
