Asymmetry of the Os Pubis: Implications for the Suchey-Brooks Method

摘要

Studies of skeletal development fre-nquently document populational incidences of bilateralnasymmetry. Degenerative morphological skeletalnchanges, attributed to age related and irregular ossifica-ntion, may also progress asymmetrically, either as thenresult of asymmetric biomechanical factors expressednover the lifespan, asymmetric expression of physiologicalnprocesses, or progressive magnification of asymmetrynacquired previously during development. This studynillustrates the effects of bilateral asymmetry on age atndeath estimates obtained from human skeletal remains.nThe Suchey-Brooks method, which uses the pubicnsymphyseal face for age estimation (Katz and Suchey,nAm J Phys Anthropol 69 [1986] 427–435), was selectednfor the study based on its widespread use. Asymmetrynin the Suchey-Brooks symphyseal age phases was foundnin over 60% of a sample composed of 20th century Whitenmale individuals from 18 to 86 years of age (N 5 130).nHowever, results suggest that the presence of asymmetryndoes not compromise the accuracy of the Suchey-Brooksnmethod if the morphologically older symphyseal face ofnan asymmetric individual is used to estimate age atndeath. In addition, weak directional asymmetry and ancorrelation between age and asymmetry were found.nThis suggests that a comparison of asymmetry in thisnarea with that in other skeletal areas, where thenfactors originating and influencing asymmetry arenbetter understood, may be useful in better under-nstanding the biological processes which underlie thenage markers used in the Suchey-Brooks method