Sinus prints in remains identification
Sinus prints refer to the unique patterns formed by the bony ridges and cavities within the human skull's sinus region. Similar to fingerprints, these sinus configurations vary from person to person, making them distinct identifiers that can aid in remains identification in both medical and forensic contexts. The uniqueness of sinus prints was first noted by surgeons examining preoperative X-rays, as these images reveal significant variability among individuals. Forensic anthropologists utilize sinus prints to help identify human remains, especially in cases where other identification methods may not be available.
While sinus prints can be crucial for confirming identities, their effectiveness often hinges on the availability of pre-death X-rays for comparison, making them more useful for verifying suspected identities rather than establishing new ones. Despite being recognized since the early twentieth century, the use of sinus prints in forensic identification remains less commonly discussed in literature. Recent studies have sought to evaluate the accuracy of this identification method, yielding varied results. A notable historical application of sinus prints was their use in confirming the identity of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963, demonstrating their potential significance in forensic science.
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Sinus prints in remains identification
DEFINITION: X rays of the bony ridges inside human skulls and the spaces they create.
SIGNIFICANCE: Called “prints” because they resemble fingerprints in being unique to each human being, sinus prints are valuable both to medicine and to forensic anthropology, which uses them to identify bodies.
The uniqueness of the human sinus region was initially discovered by surgeons, who noticed in viewing preoperative X rays that the configuration of the sinus region varies from person to person, with no two exactly alike. Unlike other bones in the body, which are fairly standard across individuals, the sinus areas of different persons’ skulls differ, and this can make surgery in this area difficult. For this reason, preoperative X rays are taken when patients undergo sinus surgery so the surgeons can familiarize themselves with the patients’ unique sinus cavities before surgery begins.
Forensic anthropologists sometimes use sinus prints to identify bodies. Other X rays may also assist with identification, particularly X rays of skeletal anomalies, such as broken bones. Even when bodies are not identified immediately, X rays can be used to help identify them years later.
Although each person’s sinus print is unique, it can be difficult to identify a dead body from one postmortem sinus print alone. A sinus print made prior to death must also exist, and it must be accessible to law enforcement. For these reasons, sinus prints are used more often to confirm suspected identities than to identify individuals without other forms of identification.
Although sinus prints have been used for forensic identification since the early twentieth century, this technique is rarely mentioned, even in the literature. Studies conducted in the first decades of the twenty-first century have attempted to assess the accuracy of sinus print identification, with mixed results. In one of the most famous instances of this method of identification, sinus prints were used to verify the identity of President John F. Kennedy after he was assassinated in 1963. A comparison of sinus prints made before and after Kennedy’s death confirmed that the body subjected to was, indeed, that of the late president of the United States.
Bibliography
Asherson, Nehemiah. Identification by Frontal Sinus Prints: A Forensic Medical Pilot Survey. London: Lewis, 1965.
Avent, Patricia R., et al. "Personal Identification Using Frontal Sinus Coding Methods: The Effect of Mixed Image Modality Comparisons." Journal of Forensic Sciences, 29 Apr. 2024, doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15533. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Larheim, T. A., and P.-L. Westesson. Maxillofacial Imaging. New York: Springer, 2006.