{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T14:27:22Z","timestamp":1787840842486,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the proximal humeral epiphysis offers a radiation-free alternative for forensic age estimation in living individuals. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between chronological age and epiphyseal maturation using a six-stage ossification classification adapted from the Schmeling\u2013Kellinghaus framework, incorporating one original morphological criterion to distinguish the pre-terminal from the terminal stage of maturation, to establish stage-specific minimum age thresholds, and to evaluate observer reproducibility in a Turkish cohort. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study, 395 shoulder MRI examinations (222 males, 173 females; age range, 12.17\u201330.67 years) obtained at Bak\u0131rk\u00f6y Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital were evaluated. The proximal humeral epiphysis was staged on T1-weighted turbo spin echo sequences in the coronal oblique plane using a six-stage classification adapted from Schmeling et al. Two radiologists independently assessed all images; intra- and interobserver reliability were determined using Cohen\u2019s kappa. Results: Spearman\u2019s rank correlation showed a strong positive association between chronological age and ossification stage (rho = 0.825, p &lt; 0.001; males, rho = 0.837; females, rho = 0.808). No significant sex differences in age were found at any stage (p &gt; 0.05). The minimum age at Stage 6, the most mature stage observed, was 21.58 years in males and 21.25 years in females. Intra- and interobserver agreement were \u03ba = 0.827 (95% CI, 0.78\u20130.87) and \u03ba = 0.811 (95% CI, 0.76\u20130.86), respectively, corresponding to a high level of agreement. Conclusions: These findings support MRI staging of the proximal humeral epiphysis as a reliable, radiation-free adjunct for forensic age estimation, with stage-specific minimum ages providing population-specific reference values for application under the minimum age principle. Given the retrospective, single-center, single-scanner design, these results should be regarded as hypothesis-generating data pending prospective, multicenter validation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics16172751","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T13:26:03Z","timestamp":1787837163000},"page":"2751","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Shoulder MRI for Forensic Age Estimation: Ossification Staging of the Proximal Humeral Epiphysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5415-9074","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naile Esra","family":"Saka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, 35090 Tekirdag, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suna","family":"Ors","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Bak\u0131rk\u00f6y Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University, 34147 Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"},{"name":"University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing BN11 2DH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marine","family":"Dario","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"L\u2019\u00c9quipe de Droit P\u00e9nal et de Sciences Forensiques de Montpellier (EDPFM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eric","family":"Baccino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"L\u2019\u00c9quipe de Droit P\u00e9nal et de Sciences Forensiques de Montpellier (EDPFM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France"},{"name":"Department of Legal Medicine, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6948-120X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sophie","family":"Colomb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"L\u2019\u00c9quipe de Droit P\u00e9nal et de Sciences Forensiques de Montpellier (EDPFM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France"},{"name":"Department of Legal Medicine, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7390-8947","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laurent","family":"Martrille","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"L\u2019\u00c9quipe de Droit P\u00e9nal et de Sciences Forensiques de Montpellier (EDPFM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France"},{"name":"ADES, UMR 7268, Aix-Marseille Universit\u00e9, Bloc A, 13344 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0194-595X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oguzhan","family":"Ekizoglu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"L\u2019\u00c9quipe de Droit P\u00e9nal et de Sciences Forensiques de Montpellier (EDPFM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France"},{"name":"Department of Legal Medicine, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1007\/s004140050283","article-title":"Age estimation: The state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practise","volume":"113","author":"Cattaneo","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. 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