Thank you for the discussion, I learn a lot from you. I hope more lesson you share and free webinars. God bless.
The epiphyseal union can be described as the joining between the two centers of bone ossification, and the fusion represents the growth completion and development process. It is the primary means of age estimation for subadult post-cranial remains.
It is known to be the most reliable means for determining the age of skeletons using various age indicators.
This union can be described in four stages:
Stage 1: Non-union with no epiphyses or with separate epiphyses
Stage 2: Partial Union of Less than 50%
Stage 3: Union greater than 50%
Stage 4: Complete Union
The union time of various epiphyses and the sequence of their union bear a relationship to age. And we all know bone age estimation plays a crucial role in solving cold cases. The standards introduced for the determination of age from bones in the South African population have now become widely accepted. These standards can be applied to several forensic cases, like humanitarian, rape, searching for lost children, etc.
In this webinar on "Standards for Epiphyseal Union in South African Children", the speaker will highlight the different stages of epiphyses, standards used in the South African population for bone age determination, epiphyseal union research, and the role of epiphyseal union in forensic science.
