Comparative Radiography
Definition
The forensic discipline of placing an antemortem radiographic image alongside a postmortem image and comparing feature by feature to determine whether they derive from the same individual. Accepted for frontal sinus, dental, vertebral, calvarial and surgical-hardware comparisons.
- Compares
- Antemortem vs postmortem radiographic images
- Accepted regions
- Frontal sinus, dental, vertebral, calvarial, surgical hardware
- Basis
- Anatomical features unique enough to individualise
- Common use case
- Identification when fingerprints or DNA are unavailable
Common questions
Why is the frontal sinus considered useful for comparative radiography?+
Frontal sinus shape and size are highly variable between individuals and are established by adolescence with relatively little change afterward, so a clear antemortem film such as a chest or skull X-ray taken years earlier can still be compared to a postmortem image with confidence.
What limits the usefulness of comparative radiography?+
It depends entirely on an antemortem image existing for the person in question, taken with comparable positioning and technique, so it is not usable when no prior medical or dental imaging exists, and image quality or projection angle differences can reduce comparability.
Related terms
- ABFA
- American Board of Forensic Anthropology. The primary US credentialing body for forensic anthropologists. Accepts frontal sinus radiographic comparison as an established personal...
- DVI
- Disaster Victim Identification. The multi-agency identification process used in mass-casualty events. Comparative radiographic methods, including frontal sinus, dental and implant comparison, form...
- Exclusion
- The categorical conclusion that one or more examined features are clearly inconsistent in a way that cannot be explained by projection angle,...
- Frontal Sinus
- Bilateral air-filled cavities within the frontal bone, superior to the orbits, that pneumatise from the embryonic frontal recess of the nasal passages....
- Orthopantomogram (OPT)
- A panoramic dental radiograph that images all teeth and the surrounding jaw structures in a single curved-plane projection. Widely used in dental...
- Positive Identification
- The categorical conclusion in comparative radiography that all examined features are concordant, no feature is inconsistent, and the overall pattern of correspondence...
- SWGANTH
- Scientific Working Group for Forensic Anthropology. A US expert panel that produced guidance documents (2008-2013) on standards for forensic anthropological practice, now...
- UDI
- Unique Device Identifier. A code mandated by the FDA (US) and EU MDR on every medical device, encoding manufacturer, model, lot and...
- Vertebral Osteophyte
- A bony outgrowth from the margin of a vertebral body, typically caused by degenerative disc disease or spondylosis. The size, shape, position...