CT技术在骨骼年龄推断研究中应用的进展

法医人类学应用诸多学科的研究方法和先进技术,对个体骨骼识别进行广泛的研究.年龄推断是法医人类学领域中一项重要的研究课题.随着影像学技术的迅速发展,法医人类学家开展了将计算机断层扫描(CT)技术应用于法医人类学领域的研究.CT具有连续快速扫描的成像能力以及强大的图像后处理功能,能够提供多种模式的高分辨骨骼重组图像,对于活体和遗骸的法医人类学鉴定都具有重要意义.本文将综述近年来CT在骨骼年龄推断研究中应用的进展.     

CT测量骨骼在法医人类学研究中的应用进展

通过测量人体骨骼进行个体识别是法医人类学领域的一项重要研究。计算机断层扫描(computed tomography,CT)技术能提供高分辨率骨骼图像,后处理工作站中的软件可以对骨骼图像进行重组,测量软件可在骨骼断层图像和重组图像上对径线、角度、面积、体积等不同体制人类学骨骼测量指标进行测量,测量较少受到人为因素干扰。本文分别从性别判定、身高推断、面部软组织厚度测量及年龄推断四个方面,对国内外CT测量骨骼在法医人类学骨骼个体识别的研究中应用的文献进行了综述,并讨论和比较了CT主要技术及CT在法医人类学相关研究中的应用。     

第12胸椎三维重建图像性别判定研究

目的考察计算机断层扫描(CT)技术测量中国汉族第12胸椎判定性别的效果,探索CT技术在法医人类学人体骨骼测量研究中应用的可行性。方法确定11项径线指标测量第12胸椎多层面重组(MPR)三维重建图像,剔除不稳定指标后计算四项比值指标,统计各项指标的数据考察CT测量第12胸椎判定性别的效果。结果剔除两次测量结果不稳定的三项指标后的12项指标性别差异显著,建立了7个性别判定方程,综合判别率在80.0%~91.6%,仅含椎体指标的方程性别判别率最高达91.6%。结论中国汉族人第12胸椎形态学测量指标具有性别差异,CT技术可以准确测量骨骼,对法医人类学人体骨骼测量研究具有应用价值。     

CT在法医病理学中的应用与展望

计算机断层扫描(CT)能够对不同密度的人体组织进行成像,在疾病和损伤的检验中具有重要的应用价值,随着CT技术的不断发展和逐步成熟,它可以对组织脏器进行容积再现、多层面重建、最大密度投影、表面遮盖显示等后处理,在肿瘤、血管畸形等疾病的诊断,骨折、关节异位、脏器破裂、出血等损伤的检验,枪弹、爆炸碎片、吸入物等体内异物的检验中具有重要的应用价值。目前已经有不少学者将其应用到相关研究领域当中。本文对近几年国内外应用CT技术进行法医病理学研究的情况进行综述,以便法医病理学研究者了解CT在法医病理学领域中的应用及研究现状,能够为今后的法医病理学科学研究和实践工作提供新的思路。     

根据手籽骨判定青少年年龄

<正> 年龄推断是法医人类学研究的一项重要的内容。目前,在法医人类学中有关青少年年龄判定的方法不是很多,已有的方法应用较为复杂。本文作者通过对青少年右手的X线片观察,根据手拇指内侧掌指关节处籽骨的出现与形态变化,推导出判定青少年年龄的多元回归方程,期望为法医人类学的年龄判定提供一种新方法。     

CT在法医人类学中的应用与展望

计算机X线断层摄影术具有分辨率高、成像清晰、可进行三维重建等优点,对骨骼和牙齿的成像效果较好。近十年来,国外有学者将其用于推断年龄和身高,判定种族和性别,在相关文献中介绍了有关的研究方法和数据,并对这些方法和数据在法医人类学个体识别中的应用价值进行了客观的评估。笔者对近几年发表的部分文献进行综述,希望能够为法医人类学科研和办案提供新的方法和思路。     

青年学者詹姆斯杰克逊参观公安部二所

<正> 美国印地安那大学青年学者詹姆斯·杰克逊在中国科学院访问交流期间,参观了公安部第二研究所容貌复原及法医人类学研究室,并就容貌复原及法医人类学研究方面的一些问题同有关研究人员进行了讨论,他对该所法医人类学方面的研究成果表示了赞赏,临走时向二所有关科技人员赠送了研究资料。     

肋骨的个体识别

根据骨骼进行身高推断、性别判定、年龄判定以及同一认定等是法医人类学个体识别的重要内容。肋骨是骨骼系统的重要组成部分，在性别和年龄的判定中具有重要的应用价值。本文主要就肋骨在性别和年龄判定两个方面的国内外研究做一概要回顾，为肋骨的进一步研究提供参考。     

身高推断的法医人类学研究进展

身高属于个体识别的重要指标之一,历来是法医人类学研究的重点和热点。近几年国内外对于身高推断的研究又有新进展。笔者主要对近六年来国内外学术界发表的相关文献进行查阅,并精选具有代表性的文献进行综述,发现主要有以下新的研究进展和趋势:(1)随着人类平均身高的不断增长,原有身高推断方程有不断更新修正的需要;(2)性别、年龄、人种、地域等因素对身高推断影响大,设计实验研究方案时应考虑加入上述因素;(3)医学影像学技术,特别是CT技术成为近年来法医人类学身高推断研究的新方法。     

肋软骨分析检验技术在法医学中的应用

传统法医人类学对肋软骨的分析检验仅限于形态学检验.近年来,法医影像学以及分子遗传学的发展丰富了人类肋软骨的分析检验技术,并且已经能够运用于法医学实践中.本文从肋软骨的组织学特性入手,综述了近年来肋软骨在法医人类学性别判定、年龄推断等方面的研究进展,以期为同行提供借鉴和参考.     

线粒体DNA和端粒与年龄相关性的研究进展

用DNA技术从分子水平上推断年龄,已成为法医学和人类学研究领域的新热点。目前用于年龄推断研究的DNA标记主要是线粒体和端粒。本文从线粒体DNA和端粒的概念、线粒体DNA的缺失和突变、端粒长度变化与年龄的相关性等方面对该领域的研究进展进行了综述。旨在为法医实践及进一步的研究提供新的方法和思路。     

Evidentiary Standards for Forensic Anthropology*

Abstract: As issues of professional standards and error rates continue to be addressed in the courts, forensic anthropologists should be proactive by developing and adhering to professional standards of best practice. There has been recent increased awareness and interest in critically assessing some of the techniques used by forensic anthropologists, but issues such as validation, error rates, and professional standards have seldom been addressed. Here we explore the legal impetus for this trend and identify areas where we can improve regarding these issues. We also discuss the recent formation of a Scientific Working Group for Forensic Anthropology (SWGANTH), which was created with the purposes of encouraging discourse among anthropologists and developing and disseminating consensus guidelines for the practice of forensic anthropology. We believe it is possible and advisable for anthropologists to seek and espouse research and methodological techniques that meet higher standards to ensure quality and consistency in our field.     

Medicolegal anthropology in France.

Medicolegal anthropology has a very long history in France. Basic studies on human skeletal remains started as early as the 18th century. The 19th century produced many medical theses and research papers on age, sex, as well as stature estimation. The research proliferated in the first 60 years of the 20th century, much of which is still in use in France and abroad. The later half of the 20th century, however, was dormant in research on human skeletal biology at a time when forensic anthropology was becoming an active field worldwide. In the last decade, medicolegal anthropology took a different perspective, independent of its traditional roots. Research and practice have both been in the professional domain of forensic physicians unlike the situation in many other countries. Population based studies requiring large databases or skeletal collections have diminished considerably. Thus, most research has been on factors of individualization such as trauma, time since death, crime scene investigation, and facial reconstruction. It is suggested that there is a need for cooperation between the forensic physician and anthropologist to further research. This also encourages anthropologists to carry out research and practice that can fulfill the needs of the medicolegal system of the country.     

Historical Trends in Graduate Research and Training of Diplomates of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology

The history of forensic anthropology has been documented by numerous scholars. These contributions have described the work of early pioneers in the field and have described important milestones, such as the founding of the Physical Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) in 1972 and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) in 1977. This paper contributes to the growing literature on the history of forensic anthropology by documenting the academic training of all individuals who have been granted diplomate status by the ABFA (n = 115). Doctoral dissertation titles were queried to discern broad patterns of research foci. A total of 39 doctoral granting institutions have trained diplomates and 77.3% of board‐certified forensic anthropologists wrote dissertations involving skeletal biology, bioarchaeology, or forensic anthropology. Board‐certified forensic anthropologists are a broadly trained group of professionals with far‐reaching anthropological interests and expertise.     

An Update on the Hazards and Risks of Forensic Anthropology,Part I: Human Remains

This work reviews the hazards and risks of practicing forensic anthropology in North America, with a focus on pathogens encountered through contact with unpreserved human remains. Since the publication of Galloway and Snodgrass' seminal paper concerning the hazards of forensic anthropology, research has provided new information about known pathogen hazards, and regulating authorities have updated recommendations for the recognition and treatment of several infections. Additionally, forensic anthropology has gained popularity, exposing an increased number of students and practitioners to these hazards. Current data suggest many occupational exposures to blood or body fluids go unreported, especially among students, highlighting the need for this discussion. For each pathogen and associated disease, this work addresses important history, reviews routes of exposure, provides an overview of symptoms and treatments, lists decontamination procedures, and presents data on postmortem viability. Personal protection and laboratory guidelines should be established and enforced in conjunction with the consideration of these data.     

Wilton Marion Krogman, Ph.D. (1903-1987): the end of an era

Dr. Wilton Marion Krogman was one of the major founders of physical and forensic anthropology in the United States. His extraordinary career spanned nearly six decades, and he was universally admired and respected for his scholarship, teaching, research, wit, and humanity. While studies based on human skeletal remains have long been used to assist the medicolegal system, the late Dr. Krogman can be credited with uniting these areas into the discipline of forensic anthropology. His "Guide to the Identification of Human Skeletal Material" (1939) in the F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin became the foundation of this discipline; his monumental book The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine (updated with the author in 1986) solidified its establishment. The purpose of this paper is to pay tribute to this great man and outline his influence on the development and advancement of forensic anthropology.     

法医骨组织学研究

在实际检案中 ,当现场发现的骨骼残片体积较小时 ,用解剖学观察无法进行骨骼残片的法医鉴定 ,需使用骨组织学的方法进行骨骼残片的个体识别。目前 ,这是法医人类学中一门较活跃的领域 ,即法医骨组织学。法医骨组织学的内容主要包括两个方面 :(1)骨骼残片是否属于人类骨骼 ,或属于何种动物骨骼。这方面的研究包括人类骨骼的组织学特征研究及不同动物的组织学特征研究。 (2 )人类骨骼个体识别的组织学研究。这方面的研究主要包括 ,人类骨骼的组织学特征的年龄判断 ,例如股骨、胫骨、肱骨、锁骨等 ,以及使用骨组织学方法 ,进行人类骨骼的年龄评价的准确性研究。本文对上述内容进行了综述。     

Discrete Traits of the Sternum and Ribs: A Useful Contribution to Identification in Forensic Anthropology and Medicine

During forensic anthropological investigation, biological profile is determined by age, sex, ancestry, and stature. However, several individuals may share the same profile. Observation of discrete traits can yield useful information and contribute to identification. This research establishes the frequency of discrete traits of the sternum and ribs in a modern population in southern France, using 500 computer tomography (CT) scans of individuals aged 15–60 years. Only discrete traits with a frequency lower than 10% according to the literature were considered, a total of eight traits. All scans examined were three‐dimensional (3D) volume renderings from DICOM images. In our population, the frequency of all the discrete traits was lower than 5%. None were associated with sex or age, with the exception of a single trait, the end of the xiphoid process. Our findings can usefully be applied for identification purposes in forensic anthropology and medicine.