Is facial geometric morphometrics a useful method for age estimation in children and adolescents? Limited evidence and lack of studies leave us with an uncertain answer - 02/08/23

Doi : 10.1016/j.morpho.2023.04.002

Nicole Prata Damascena ^a,^e, Carlos Eduardo Palhares Machado ^b, Melina Calmon Silva ^c, Bianca Marques Santiago ^d,^⁎ , Paulo Ricardo Martins-Filho ^a,^e
^a Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Sergipe, Brazil
^b National Institute of Criminalistics, Brazilian Federal Police, Distrito Federal, Brazil
^c Forensic Anthropology and Identification of Persons Research Group, Brazilian Federal Police, Distrito Federal, Brazil
^d Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraiba, Paraiba, Brazil
^e Investigative Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Sergipe, Sergipe, Brazil

^⁎Corresponding author at: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Campus I–Cidade Universitária. João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brasil.Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Campus I–Cidade Universitária. João PessoaParaíba58051-900Brasil

Summary

Facial geometric morphometrics is a non-invasive method that has recently shown potential applications, including age estimation, diagnosis of facial abnormalities, monitoring facial development, and evaluating treatment outcomes. A systematic review identified two studies that demonstrated the use of facial geometric morphometrics for age estimation in children and adolescents, showing promising results in terms of accuracy and error. This finding could be particularly relevant in forensic investigations. However, a research agenda should be established to prioritize the assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of facial morphometric geometrics in estimating age among children and adolescents.

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Keywords : Age estimation, Facial analysis, Geometric morphometrics