Age estimation from the auricular surface of the ilium: a revised method

A revised method for estimating adult age at death using the auricular surface of the ilium has been developed. It is based on the existing auricular surface aging method of Lovejoy et al. ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:15-28), but the revised technique is easier to apply, and has low levels of inter- and intraobserver error. The new method records age-related stages for different features of the auricular surface, which are then combined to provide a composite score from which an estimate of age at death is obtained. Blind tests of the method were carried out on a known-age skeletal collection from Christ Church, Spitalfields, London. These tests showed that the dispersion of age at death for a given morphological stage was large, particularly after the first decade of adult life. Statistical analysis showed that the age-related changes in auricular surface are not significantly different for males and females. The scores from the revised method have a slightly higher correlation with age than do the Suchey-Brooks pubic symphysis stages. Considering the higher survival rates of the auricular surface compared with the pubic symphysis, this method promises to be useful for biological anthropology and forensic science.     

New method for estimation of adult skeletal age at death from the morphology of the auricular surface of the ilium

A new method for estimating skeletal age at death from the morphology of the auricular surface of the ilium is presented. It uses a multiple regression analysis with dummy variables, and is based on the examination of 700 modern Japanese skeletal remains with age records. The observer using this method needs only to check for the presence or absence of nine (for a male) or seven (for a female) features on the auricular surface and to select the parameter estimates of each feature, calculated by multiple regression analysis with dummy variables. The observer can obtain an estimated age from the sum of parameter estimates. It is shown that a fine granular texture of the auricular surface is typical of younger individuals, whereas a heavily porous texture is characteristic of older individuals, and that both of these features are very useful for estimating age. Our method is shown here to be more accurate than other methods, especially in the older age ranges. Since the auricular surface allows more expedient observations than other parts of the skeleton, this new method can be expected to improve the overall accuracy of estimating skeletal age at death.     

Reconstruction of microtia with a contour-accentuated framework and supplemental coverage

A new method of assembling the framework of the ear with overaccentuated auricular contour is presented. In order to achieve the primary objective of the contour-accentuated framework, any shortage of skin coverage resulting from the increased surface area of the framework is supplied by the resurfaced temporoparietal fascial flap. This is done in 7 cases of microtia reconstruction. The procedure is beneficial for restoring clearly defined auricular relief in ear reconstruction.     

Test of revised method of age estimation from the auricular surface of the ilium

The objective of this paper is to test a revised method of age estimation based on the morphology of the auricular surface recently proposed by Buckberry and Chamberlain ([2002] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 119:231-239). The study sample consists of 309 individuals of known sex, age, and race from the Terry and Huntington Collections. Auricular surfaces were scored using the revised technique to determine whether it is equally applicable to both sexes as well as blacks and whites. The auricular surfaces of the same individuals were also scored using the original method of auricular surface scoring developed by Lovejoy et al. ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:15-28) to determine whether the revised technique is comparable to the original method in terms of accuracy. Results show that the revised method is equally applicable to males and females as well as blacks and whites. The revised method is less accurate than the original method for individuals between 20-49 years of age, but more accurate for individuals between 50-69 years of age.     

Effect of stimulating the auricular branch of the vagus nerve on the heart rate in patients with severe chronic heart failure

A study was made to evaluate the prospects of improving the cardiac function by electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in patients with severe chronic heart failure (CHF). Sympathetic hyperactivity and the cardiac function were evaluated by 24-hour ECG monitoring, echocardiography, and a 6-min walk test. At the time of enrollment into the study, patients had a heart rate (HR) of more than 60 bpm, a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) of less than 40%, and CHF NYHA functional class (FC) III or IV even with well tolerated medications. Control-group patients (n = 7) did not show significant changes in the functional state of the heart after sham treatment. In the test group (n = 44), a significant increase in LV EF and a decrease in end-systolic volume were induced by electrical pulse stimulation of the auricular branch. A decrease in HR was documented in 34 patients; CHF FC decreased by one or two grades in 40 patients. The changes were assumed to reflect new balance achieved in the autonomic regulation of the heart to contribute to sustaining competence of the myocardium. Electrical pulse stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve was concluded to provide a safe and efficacious addition to drug therapy in patients with severe CHF.     

Framework growth after reconstruction for microtia: is it real and what are the implications?

Historically, fashioning an auricle for a patient born with microtia has been one of the most challenging endeavors in the repertoire of reconstructive surgeons. Despite many ideas advanced on types of materials for the auricular framework, the hands-down favorite and today's medium of choice is autogenous costal cartilage. A subject that remains up for discussion, however, is the question of growth potential in these cartilaginous frameworks. Popularization of the surgical technique for auricular reconstruction has led to much bandying about of opinions on this very important question of growth. Although previous reports allude to the probability of an increase in auricular size after reconstruction, this report is the first to document changes in auricular size with measurements taken directly from patients at the time of graft implantation and during subsequent long-term follow-up. The goals of this study are to define the behavior of the autogenous framework after reconstruction of the microtic auricle. This information serves to clarify the issue of proper framework sizing and to make evident the early age at which reconstruction can begin.The records of patients who underwent costal cartilage auricular reconstruction for grade III microtia between 1990 and 1996 were reviewed, and a cohort of 10 patients was chosen for inclusion based on availability for follow-up and lack of any interval modifications of their cartilaginous framework. The average age was 6.7 years, and the average time interval from initial reconstruction to follow-up was 3.2 years. Measurements of the auricular framework height and width were taken at implantation and at time of final follow-up, and measurements were recorded of the normal ears of patients with unilateral microtia. The mean auricular size was examined for significance of interval change using the two-sample Student's t tests, assuming unequal variances.The results revealed an average height increase of 5 mm (10.4 percent) in the study population. Auricular width changes averaged 2.75 mm (7.02 percent). Growth trends revealed a distinct tendency toward increasing auricular framework size over time, with slowing as patients neared adolescence. Comparison of the reconstructed auricle to the normal ear of each patient with unilateral microtia showed that the reconstructed ear paralleled the growth of the normal side, with no statistically significant differences in height or width at follow-up.This is the first report of auricular framework behavior based on patients having direct measurement of their framework initially and in long-term follow-up. This patient sample underscores a clear pattern of growth in the reconstructed auricles paralleling that of the normal ears. The implications of this finding are important in that the initial oversizing of the framework becomes unnecessary. Moreover, the decision as to age at initial reconstruction is not affected by anticipated growth rates.     

Epigenetic regulation of the shape and position of the auricle in the rat.

We hypothesized that epigenetic (non-genomic) factors, related to muscular function, significantly regulate the shape and position of the auricular cartilage. We tested this experimentally by doing unilateral partial and total facial neurectomies, auricular myectomies, and ear rotations with skin excisions in rats. The neurectomies produced muscle atrophy, abolished the horizontal scaphoid ridging, and produced characteristic changes in the auricular shape. The myectomies of extrinsic auricular musculature alone were followed routinely by complete muscle regeneration and no changes in shape. The auricular rotations, with skin excision, produced an antihelix-like complex analogous to the human ear--a configuration that was permanent and was accompanied by muscle relocation. The findings are believed to support our hypothesis.     

Novel Classification of the Posterior Auricular Artery Based on Angiographical Appearance

Purpose

To investigate the length variation of the posterior auricular artery and propose a novel classification of the posterior auricular artery based on angiographical appearance.

Patients and Methods

A series of 234 consecutive patients who had undergone conventional cerebral angiography was analyzed. The posterior auricular artery was examined on the lateral projection of the external carotid or common carotid arteriography. The posterior auricular artery was classified into four groups by length, using the external auditory canal and the top of the helix as radiographical landmarks. Our proposed classification is as follows: Type A, posterior auricular artery terminates between its origin and the center of the external auditory canal; Type B, posterior auricular artery terminates between the center of the external auditory canal and the top of the helix; Type C, posterior auricular artery terminates between the top of the helix and the vertex; and Type D, posterior auricular artery reaches up to the vertex.

Results

A total of 424 (right, 214; left, 210) posterior auricular arteries were analyzed in 111 men and 123 women aged 11 to 91 years (mean, 61.0 years) examined for aneurysms in 78 cases, occlusive vascular diseases in 56, intracranial hemorrhages in 41, tumors in 35, and others in 24. Types A, B, C, and D were found in 15.1%, 34.9%, 48.8%, and 1.2% of the patients, respectively.

Conclusion

A novel classification of the posterior auricular artery identifies four types based on its length on cerebral angiography.     

Auricular surface aging: Worse than expected? A test of the revised method on a documented historic skeletal assemblage

This study presents results and recommendations arising from a blind test of the revised age estimation method for the auricular surface as proposed by Buckberry and Chamberlain ([2002] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 119:321-329). Auricular surfaces of 167 individuals from St. Bride's, London, a documented skeletal assemblage spanning the late 17th to early 19th century, were analyzed for the following traits: transverse organization, surface texture appearance, macroporosity, microporosity, and morphological changes to the apex. Composite scores of trait expressions were found to generally correlate with age and to show a positive association with known chronological age (P < 0.01). However, when composite scores were combined to define auricular surface phases, which ultimately assign age estimations, only three distinct developmental stages, compared with seven suggested by Buckberry and Chamberlain ([2002] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 119:321-329), could be identified and statistically supported, all showing a considerable degree of individual variation in age. The most well-defined stage in the St. Bride's assemblage was the new stage III, where the majority of individuals were older than 60 years, whereas middle-aged adults displayed a large variation in composite scores. These results provide little hope for a promising application of age-at-death estimation of auricular surface morphology traits with higher resolution, but rather suggest indications of broad stages of life.     

Reconstruction of paleodemographic characteristics from skeletal age at death distributions: perspectives from Hitotsubashi, Japan

This is a demographic exploration of the city of Edo, which reveals the changes that accompanied its urbanization and analyzes the skeletal remains of 207 individuals from a specific site in Tokyo (Hitotsubashi), using several paleodemographic approaches. A comparison of the three methods employed herein suggests that the Bayesian and maximum likelihood estimation techniques provide more plausible mortality patterns than the direct method of age estimation because the direct method of age estimation relies on published age intervals for the auricular surface and that would account for the underestimation of old people relative to the other two methods. Analyses using these new approaches indicate a short life span tendency for the people of Hitotsubashi. Although we cannot rule out methodological problems of adult-age estimation, one plausible interpretation of that life expectancy is an inadequate food supply and a poor public health situation. This study suggests that, in Tokugawa Japan, urbanization might have imposed health risks, increasing the risk of mortality. Analysis of demographic data from Hitotsubashi has refined our understanding on the impact of urbanization on the Edo period, and presents new perspectives on paleodemography in Japan.     

Arterial supply of the anterior ear.

Twenty cadaver auricles were injected with a latex solution to define the arterial supply of the anteroauricular surface. Two arterial networks exist, the network of the triangular fossa-scapha and the network of the concha. Both eventually communicate on the anthelix. The triangular fossa-scapha network originates from one subbranch of the upper auricular branch of the superficial temporal artery and from branches of the posterior auricular artery that come through the earlobe and triangular fossa and over the helical margin. The conchal network is provided by two to four perforators that come from the posterior auricular artery, piercing the conchal floor. Auricular branches of the superficial temporal artery in the preauricular region and their communications with the posterior auricular artery also were confirmed. We believe that a greater understanding of the detailed arterial anatomy in this area allows one to develop safely a variety of surgical techniques for reconstruction of the ear.     

Effect of obesity on the reliability of age-at-death indicators of the pelvis

During medicolegal investigations, forensic anthropologists commonly use morphological changes in the auricular surface of the ilium and the symphyseal face of the pubis to estimate age. However, obesity may impact the reliability of age estimations based on pelvic joints. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased in the United States (US). Since the rate of progression through age-related stages of weight-bearing joints may be influenced by excessive body mass, it is important that anthropologists understand how obesity affects age-related morphological changes in the skeleton. This study investigates the effects of obesity on the validity of the estimated age-at-death based on the Buckberry–Chamberlin and Suchey–Brooks methods by comparing US adults considered normal BMI (BMI 18.5–24.9) and obese (BMI ≥ 30). The obese group exhibits overall greater bias (overestimation of age) and inaccuracy, less precision, and lower correlations between estimated and known age than the normal BMI group using both methods, although differences in the pubic symphysis are not statistically significant. For the auricular surface the age of transition from one phase to the next is lower and the standard deviations are greater for the obese as compared to normal weight individuals. This study helps to elucidate how obesity affects the rate of age-related skeletal change of the human pelvis, and shows that the pubic symphysis may be a more reliable indicator of age in obese individuals and that greater standard deviations are needed for obese individuals when estimating age-at-death from the pelvis. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:595–605, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new arterial flap from the postauricular surface: its anatomic basis and clinical application

We studied the arterial pattern of the postauricular surface in 16 cadavers and compared them to the results of Doppler probing in the auricles of 15 human volunteers. The dissections revealed that the postauricular surface is mainly supplied by three to five sizable branches from the upper, middle, and lower divisions of the posterior auricular artery, traversing in a rather straight and cephalic direction toward the auricular rim. One or more branches of the middle division are constantly present and distribute over the upper two-thirds of the postauricular surface. These anatomic findings were compatible with the results of the Doppler probing. We have done four auricular reconstructions with postauricular arterial flaps with excellent postoperative results. It is worthwhile to use the postauricular arterial flap in restoring the middle third of the auricle.     

Comparison of a Bone Criterion and a dental Criterion for estimation of age at death in the study of an Ancient Cemetery

Two methods, a visual method based on the appearance of the auricular surface of the ilium and a metric method based on two dental criteria, were used in conjunction for estimation of skeletal age at death in paleodemographic study of an ancient cemetery, and were found to be coherent. However, the paleodemographic profiles differed according to sex, indicating a sexual difference in the evolution of the sacroiliac joint.     

The tumbling concha-cartilage flap for correction of lop ear

This article presents a new surgical method that uses tumbling concha-cartilage flaps to correct lop ears. Through a posterior or anterior auricular skin incision, a rectangular or T-shaped cartilage flap is elevated from the concha and tumbled backward. After passing under the postauricular skin, the flap's tip is fixed to the lidded helix or scapha. The recoiling force of the flap's conchal side enables the lidded portion to be in a normal, erect, anatomic position. The method also increases the vertical height of the ear and creates a normally shaped scapha. Sixteen lop ears were corrected using this procedure, with most of them maintaining natural auricular features. Therefore, this method was considered effective for the correction of moderate lop ear deformity.     

Establishing the mental health baseline

This paper introduces a new organization, cognitive-web.org, whose goal is to make cognitive tests available on the internet, and thereby to provide users with a "mental health baseline" against which to assess their cognitive function over time. These tests will provide information about changes in cognitive function during normal aging and in dementia.     

Auricular mild errors of morphogenesis: epidemiological study with application of a targeted computer program

Mild errors of morphogenesis (MEMs) are findings of great importance in multiple fields because of their predictive value in identification of major malformations, specific genetic syndromes, mental retardation and childhood malignancy. In order to evaluate the contribution of auricular MEMs, we constructed a computerized program, especially designed for the recording of auricular MEMs in connection with nonauricular MEMs, personal data, family, pregnancy and birth history, presence of major malformation and postural defects. The program is easy to use and delivers, at request, immediate information regarding prevalence of each auricular MEM and percentage associations between all variables. In the period from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999, we screened 3107 consecutively born neonates and recorded auricular and nonauricular MEMs, detected by surface examination. The general prevalence of auricular MEMs was 43.2% and the most frequent MEMs and their associates were of postural-type. This computerized program offers many advantages for the study of ear MEMs.     

Multifactorial determination of skeletal age at death: a method and blind tests of its accuracy

Traditional methods of estimating skeletal age at death have relied solely on the pubic symphyseal face or on this indicator combined with others in nonsystematic ways. A multifactorial method is presented that uses a principal components weighting of five indicators (public symphyseal face, auricular surface, radiographs of proximal femur, dental wear, and suture closure). This method has been tested by completely blind assessment of age in two samples from the Todd collection carefully screened for accuracy of stated age at death. Results show a marked superiority of the multifactorial method over any single indicator with respect to both bias and accuracy. This represents the first truly blind test of an age-at-death indicator or system, as the test populations were independent of the system(s) being tested, and the age, sex, and ethnogeographic origin of the individuals being assessed (as well as the compositions of the test samples with respect to these variables) were completely unknown until the tests were completed. Implications for paleodemography are discussed.     

Features of the contour of the inner surface of the cardiac ventricles and Thebesius-Vieussens vessels

Using certain morphological methods, relief peculiarities of the cardiac ventricle chambers, form and extent of the intertrabecular spaces, connections with the myocardial blood bed have been studied in 92 human hearts. Foramina, fissurae and excavations on the internal surface of the ventricles are the beginnings of the intertrabecular spaces, in their deep parts elements of the microcirculatory blood bed of the myocardium have openings. As demonstrate serial sections, there are not any immediate anastomoses between the myocardial arteries, veins and the intertrabecular spaces. This fact does not confirm the existing opinion that the smallest cardiac veins (Viessen-Thebesian vessels) belong to the arterio-venous anastomoses. A propose is made to use the term "the smallest cardiac veins" only to the veins that directly open into the auricular chambers.     

Immunolocalization of the substances P- and FMRFamide in the atrium of the snail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Achatina fulica</Emphasis>

The methods of immunohystochemistry and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry were applied for the investigation of the localization of the substances P (SP)- and FMRFamide in the auricle of the mollusc Achatina fulica. Nerve fibers that innervate a snail auricle are in close contact with the granular cells (GC) disposed among muscular and endocardial cells, forming the neuroendocrinal complexes. Both neuromediators were detected in the cells of these auricular neuroendocrinal complexes. The method of immunoperoxidase histochemistry has shown the localization of SP- and FMRFamide immunoreactive material in granules of auricular GCs. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry has confirmed the presence of SP- and FMRFamide-immunoreactive material in GC granules; moreover, it has also shown its presence in the neurosecretory granules of nerve fibers, both located in neuroendocrinal complexes in contact with cardiomyocytes.