*Medical Officer (Post graduate Trainee reserve), Department of Forensic & State Medicine, Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, WB-713104. E-mail: Shreeman.achintya@gmail.com
**Medical Officer (Post graduate Trainee reserve), Department of Community Medicine
***PG Trainee, Dept. of Forensic & State Medicine
The greater cornua of the hyoid bone fuse with the body at a certain age. The fusion of hyoid bone can be helpful in estimating the age of unknown dead bodies. Several investigations have shown considerable variations in the age of fusion of hyoid bone. The present study was aimed at examining the age of fusion of hyoid bone in Indian Bengali sample. Also it was designed to assess whether fusion of hyoid is sex dependent.The sample comprised thirty (equal number of male and female) healthy hyoids bones. The hyoid bones obtained from adult subjects in consecutive autopsies. The X-ray films were examined for the presence of fusion between the greater cornua and body. The mean age of fusion in the pooled sample was 57.28 (11.40) years. Again the mean age of fusion in males was 59.00 (9.45) years. It was seen from the present study that the mean age of fusion did not significantly differ in the two sexes. Fractures of hyoid when found in subjects below 45 years should be evaluated more carefully. Attempt to estimate age from hyoid fusion in Indians would be unreliable owing to the regional variations.
Forensic anthropology, Hyoid, Fusion, Age, Indian Bengali
