FORENSIC AGE ESTIMATION IN CHILDREN USING CORONOID PROCESS OF MANDIBLE FROM DENTAL PANORAMIC TOMOGRAPHY: A GEOMETRIC MORPHOMETRIC STUDY

Aspalilah Alias; Siti Aisyah Aminah Rosli; Ammar Rezadin; Nurjehan Mohamed Ibrahim; Arofi Kurniawan; Pande Made Maha Prasthanika; Niwa Hafrina; Muhammad Faiz Mohd Fauad

doi:10.33102/sm6khk04

Authors

Aspalilah Alias Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia / Department of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia / Centre of Research for Fiqh Forensics and Judiciary (CFORSJ), Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Siti Aisyah Aminah Rosli Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Ammar Rezadin Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Nurjehan Mohamed Ibrahim Department of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Arofi Kurniawan Department of Forensic Odontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Pande Made Maha Prasthanika Master of Dentistry (Forensic Odontology), Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Niwa Hafrina Master of Dentistry (Forensic Odontology), Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Muhammad Faiz Mohd Fauad Department of Medical Sciences 1, Faculty of Medicine and Healthcare, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33102/sm6khk04

Keywords:

Coronoid process, geometric morphometrics, age estimation, dental panoramic tomography, forensic odontology

Abstract

Age estimation in children is crucial for forensic identification. The mandible coronoid process is the site of attachment of the temporal muscle and is one of the parts that has changed during development, making it a potential landmark for age estimation. This study aimed to determine the morphological differences between children in the coronoid process of the mandible. A total of 305 dental panoramic tomography (DPT) images were divided into two age groups: Group 1 (3–7 years) and Group 2 (8–12 years). Six landmarks of coronoid process of mandible were applied to the DPT using the TPSDig2 software. The coordinate was exported to MorphoJ for geometric morphometric analysis. The general procrustes analysis (GPA), Principal component analysis (PCA), Procrustes ANOVA, and Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was performed. The first five PCs represented 86% of total shape variation, with PC1 contributing the highest proportion (38%), followed by PC2 (20%) and PC3 (12.23%). Procrustes ANOVA demonstrated significant differences in centroid size and shape between groups (p < 0.05). DFA achieved 73% correct classification and 64% after cross validation. Wireframe visualization revealed a higher coronoid tip in Group 2 compared to Group 1, indicating mandibular growth with age. Coronoid process morphology demonstrates significant age-related changes and can serve as a useful supplementary marker for forensic age estimation in children. Geometric morphometric analysis provides a reliable and objective framework for quantifying mandibular growth.

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