Fusion at Manubriosternal Joint in living population through X–Ray Sternum– Lateral View.

Medicolegal autopsy is one of the important jobs of forensic experts dealing in medicolegal work. Medicolegal autopsy is done in all the unnatural cases of human death. However, medicolegal autopsy in unknown cases, putrefied cases and murder cases creates a grave challenge to forensic experts. Forensic experts are frequently asked to give age and sex in these cases. During autopsy, we study fusion at various joints and sutures like skull sutures, fusion in body of sternum and fusion of inner end of clavicle. We rely on the data available in the books and few articles. So, the purpose of our study is to estimate age from manuiosternal joint by digital radiographs similar to the xiphisternal joint done previously. Fusion at maniosteranal joint is seen after taking left lateral chest radiograph.  The Earliest age of fusion at manuiosteranl joint is found to be at 60 years, Latest age of non–fusion at manuiosternal joint is seen at 65 years and average age of fusion comes out to be 62.5 years.

Age Estimation   Autopsy   Manbriosternal joint   Angle of Louis   Forensic experts