Biomedical subjects

Pascal Adalian

Publications and source records attributed to Pascal Adalian.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

An anatomical and biometrical study of the femoral trochlear groove in the human fetus.

We performed a biometric analysis of the femoral trochlear groove in the fetus and compared our findings with those observed in adults. We studied 44 formalin-preserved fetuses (13-38 weeks) and used digitized images to obtain measurements (alpha angle of the groove, trochlear slopes thetaL and thetaM). A comparison of means between our series and adults was achieved. For each angle of the distal epiphysis (alpha, thetaL, thetaM) there was no significant difference between our fetal series and adults. This is the first biometric study of fetal trochlea. The morphology of the lower femur appears to be the same in the fetus and the adult.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Hyperostosis frontalis interna: forensic issues.

The use of pathological conditions in age and sex determination, important factors in personal identification, is not widespread in anthropology and legal medicine. Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a bone condition that mainly affects the inner table of the frontal bone. Although there are numerous publications on the subject, at the present time its etiology remains obscure. Several associations of symptoms, whose incidence varies according to the population studied, have been described. Age and gender appear to be linked with the preponderance of this condition, as does the presence of behavioral disturbances. The aim of our study, based on a series of 1532 autopsies, was to define the incidence and the associations observed with other pathological conditions. Thirteen cases of HFI were identified (0.8% of autopsies), 12 women and one man whose mean age was 59.15 years (range: 42-79 years). All had behavioral disturbances and most were under psychiatric care. This study emphasizes the value of this condition in medico-legal identification.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Fetal visceral maturation: a useful contribution to gestational age estimation in human fetuses.

With regard to the law, estimating fetal age is essential to assess viability (after 20 weeks according to the WHO) and the proposed methods generally use long bone measurements. Here, we evaluated the accuracy of soft tissue maturational stage and compared it with long bone measurements. First, eight kinds of tissues or organs from 448 fetuses with known medical history were studied (macroscopically or histologically). We clearly demonstrated that adrenal glands and skin were very good age indicators, because some characteristics appeared only after 20 weeks. We established a linear regression with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 2.9 weeks. Second, we applied our original formula using femur measurement and we combined soft tissues and bones in a multiparametric regression. The confidence interval was reduced to +/- 2.5 weeks. We conclude that the pathologist must use both histological and anthropometric data to determine fetal age as accurately as possible.

Femur↗

PubMed2003

New forensic approach to age determination in children based on tooth eruption.

The present study proposes equations for age determination both in living and dead children, obtained with the help of stepwise ascending multiple linear regression. The equations should be applied, based on the number of erupted teeth and tooth germs, which were detected on radiographs, during clinical examination and in infant skeletal remains. The proposed equations proved to be efficient just like Demirjian's method used as a reference today, and permit age estimation till 20 years of age.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[Probabilistic approach to age estimation of children by dental maturation].

Two probabilist methods of age prediction in children are proposed: they are both based on the radiological presence of erupted teeth or germs. Using an apprenticeship sample of known age and sex, we established several discriminant models (+/- 13, +/- 16, +/- 18 years old). We also evaluated a Bayesian model with the following age groups: < 13, [13-16[, [16-18[, > or = 18 years old, or [X and Y] years old. When applied on a known test sample, Fisher's linear functions presented a success rate greater than 90%, above 13 years threshold, and below 16 and 18 years thresholds, and Bayesian approach, greater than 85%. Therefore, these methods provide an interesting alternative for children age determination that can be applied in biological and forensic anthropology, too.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[New formula for the determination od fetal age].

The methods utilised in anthropology for foetal age assessment are generally rather old, based on small samples and have never been tested on other samples than the one they were established on. In this study, we establish a formula on 344 foetuses of known age, and compare it with other age determination methods found in the scientific literature. Except our formula, the tested other methods do not give the limits of the prediction's confidence interval, and therefore do not take into account the total variability. Therefore, we demonstrate the necessity to establish formulas based on large samples and on a validated methodology.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗

PubMed2002

Validation of a radiographic method to establish new fetal growth standards: radio-anatomical correlation.

In forensic medicine, specialists might face difficulties when estimating age at death from fetal remains. Depending on the state of preservation, this age assessment is essentially based on the diaphyseal size of long bones. In a previous work, for the measurement of fetal femoral ossified shafts, we already established a simple and reliable method using a radiographic protocol. Since we previously stated that radiographic measurement values were closer to real anatomical size than ultrasonographic ones, in the present study we decided to check the importance of the difference between radiographic and anatomical measurements. Therefore, we dissected 30 pairs of fetal femurs and compared the difference between the two kinds of measurements (in percentages). This difference seemed to be slight (4.027%), but it was large enough to entail significant differences (p < 0.001). In order to provide a correction factor for radiographic measurements, we established a linear regression formula, which was tested on another sample of 30 pairs of dissected femurs. As a consequence of the good results, we improved the linear regression using a powerful statistical tool: the bootstrap. Finally, we obtained a simple equation that allowed us to figure out the real anatomical size with an R2 of 99% and a mean relative difference of 0.153% (with a standard error of 0.252 mm, and therefore a 95% confidence interval with limits of -0.35 and 0.657 mm). This difference did not entail any significant differences (p = 0.498), and therefore, we concluded that with the proposed correction, radiographic measurements can easily be used by forensic specialists in their daily tasks or to establish new growth standards in order to best fit their population of interest.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anatomic study of femoral patellar groove in fetus.

The authors performed a biometric analysis of the femoral patellar groove in fetus and compared their findings with those observed in adults. Forty-four formalin-preserved fetuses were studied (13-38 weeks). Digitalized images were used to obtain measurements (alpha angle of the groove, trochlear slopes thetaL and thetaM). A comparison of means of independent samples between our series and adults was performed. For each angle of the distal epiphysis (alpha, thetaL, thetaM) there was no significant difference between this fetal series and adults. This is the first biometry of the fetal patellar groove. The morphology of the lower femur appears to be the same in fetus and adults. The results of this study suggest that the anatomic characteristics of the patellar groove could have been integrated into the genome during the course of evolution. This would be in favor of a genetic origin of patellar groove dysplasia.

Adult↗