Reproducibility of the results of forensic age estimation using radiological method

The results of this comparative study lead to the conclusion that in forensic expert practice, the radiological assessment of sternum and costal cartilage ossification processes for age estimation will not be reproducible without more precise verbal and visual definitions of the criteria for the recorded conditions, eliminating ambiguity. Clear gradations of the severity of degenerative-dystrophic changes in bone and cartilage tissue on the studied images will allow for consistent evaluation by experts with different professional experience.