Postnatal ontogenesis of the tibia. Implications for age and sex estimation

Abstract

The growth of five variables of the tibia (diaphyseal length, diaphyseal length plus distal epiphysis, condylo-malleolar length, sagittal diameter of the proximal epiphysis, maximum breadth of the distal epiphysis) were analyzed using polynomial regression in order to evaluate their significance and capacity for age and sex determination during and after growth. Data were collected from 181 (90♂ and 91♀) individuals ranging from birth to 25 years of age and belonging to three documented collections from Western Europe. Results indicate that all five variables exhibit linear behaviour during growth, which can be expressed by a first-degree polynomial function. Sexual significant differences were observed from age 15 onward in the two epiphysis measurements and condylo-malleolar length, suggesting that these three variables could be useful for sex determination in individuals older than 15 years. Strong correlation coefficients were identified between the five tibial variables and age. These results indicate that any of the studied tibial measurements is likely to serve as a useful source for estimating sub-adult age in both archaeological and forensic samples. 1 ABSTRACTThe growth of five variables of the tibia (diaphyseal length, diaphyseal length plus distal epiphysis, condylo-malleolar length, sagittal diameter of the proximal epiphysis, maximum breadth of the distal epiphysis) were analyzed using polynomial regression in order to evaluate their significance and capacity for age and sex determination during and after growth. Data were collected from 181 (90♂ and 91♀) individuals ranging from birth to 25 years of age and belonging to three documented collections from Western Europe.Results indicate that all five variables exhibit linear behaviour during growth, which can be expressed by a first-degree polynomial function. Sexual significant differences were observed from age 15 onward in the two epiphysis measurements and condylo-malleolar length, suggesting that these three variables could be useful for sex determination in individuals older than 15 years. Strong correlation coefficients were identified between the five tibial variables and age. These results indicate that any of the studied tibial measurements is likely to serve as a useful source for estimating sub-adult age in both archaeological and forensic samples.

Estimation of sex from the lower limb measurements of Sudanese adults

“…Bone lengths are mainly affected by genetics, and length of the femur and tibia are recognized as better indicators of sex in black Americans and American Indians than the circumference, which was a better discriminator for white Americans [31,39]. Additionally, this finding can be due to late female maturation or less male growth among the Sudanese because sexual dimorphism in vertical variables is related to the cessation of female growth rather than a growth spurt [40,41]. Males are known to be more sensitive to long-term protein deficiency than females, resulting in less male growth, and an excessive or deficient protein consumption diminishes sexual dimorphism expression within a population [42,43].…”

Using multivariate adaptive regression splines to estimate subadult age from diaphyseal dimensions

“…Rissech et al, 2008Rissech et al, , 2013López-Costas et al, 2012;Cardoso et al, 2013) were designed to estimate age from long bone lengths, the authors only provided regression formulae with the standard error (SE) and R-squared values. Providing a SE implies that the variation in diaphyseal dimensions is constant through all ages, even though variation in diaphyseal dimensions is known to increase with age.…”

“…Providing a SE implies that the variation in diaphyseal dimensions is constant through all ages, even though variation in diaphyseal dimensions is known to increase with age. López-Costas et al (2012) recommended the SEs should not be used until the remains are estimated to be approximately 8 years of age, thus the authors acknowledged the inability of the SE to capture variation in the younger individuals. The variation in diaphyseal lengths continues to increase after 8 years of age, so the SEs will only be valid at 8 years of age, not before or after.…”

“…An age method based solely on length measurements is problematic and speaks to the need for the inclusion of breadth measurements and a multivariate approach. Currently, only a few breadth measurements on the humerus, tibia and femur have been considered for age estimation (Rissech et al, 2008(Rissech et al, , 2013López-Costas et al, 2012).…”

Diet and lifestyle in Bronze Age Northwest Spain: the collective burial of Cova do Santo

“…Buikstra and Ubelaker, 1994). In addition, subadult age in the preserved postcranial remains (ilium, femur and tibia) was also assessed with the Iberian standards for growth and maturity (Lopez-Costas et al, 2012;Rissech and Malgosa, 2005;Rissech et al, 2008). Pathological features were evaluated macroscopically, recording the presence, appearance and distribution of abnormal bone formation and destruction in each element.…”