Estimation of age from soft X-ray findings of Japanese females thyroid cartilages.

A method for estimating the age at death using the image processing of soft X-ray pictures of the thyroid cartilages of Japanese females was examined. The soft X-ray pictures showed increasing ossification with age. One index for image processing was introduced. It is ossification rate (OSFR). Corresponding to this index, one age estimation equation was obtained. This age estimation equation showed accuracies of 60% or more for the age range of +/- 5 years and about 80% for the age range of +/- 8 years.