The Suchey-Brooks (1990) method for estimating adult age-at-death from the pubic symphysis is widely used and popular among forensic anthropologists. While this technique is quite accurate, it yields wide age interval estimates and is imprecise for individuals aged over fifty years at death. Berg (2008) and Hartnett (2010a) each altered Brooks and Suchey's phase descriptions and added a seventh phase with the goal of increasing precision while maintaining accuracy, especially for older individuals. The hypothesis for this validation study states that the new methods improve the existing Suchey-Brooks method. A total of 384 White Americans (n=213 males and 171 females) aged 26-97 years at death were analyzed at the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville using all three methods. Descriptive statistics, percentages of "correct" age estimates, inaccuracy and bias scores, and rates of inter- and intra-observer agreement were calculated and compared across the three methods. The Hartnett and Suchey-Brooks methods yielded similar percentages of correct estimates for males (85.0% and 84.5% correct, respectively, using ±2 standard deviations from the phase means), although the Hartnett method was significantly less inaccurate (p<0.001) and biased (p<0.001). The Suchey-Brooks method yielded the highest percentage of "correct" estimates for females aged less than sixty years (100.0% using ±2 standard deviations or 83.1% using ±1 standard deviation) and was significantly less inaccurate (p<0.001) and biased (p<0.001) than the Hartnett and Berg methods. The Hartnett and Berg methods were both significantly (p<0.001) less inaccurate and biased than the Suchey-Brooks method for females aged over sixty years, but Hartnett's and Berg's scores were not significantly different from each other (p=0.496 inaccuracy, p=0.066 bias). The Berg method yielded the highest percentage of "correct" estimates for females aged greater than sixty years (90.2% using ±2 standard deviations or 54.5% using ±1 standard deviation). The results of the present study were similar to those obtained by Merritt's (2014) validation study of Hartnett (2010a, b), although Merritt's rates of intra-observer agreement were substantially higher than those calculated for the present study. The hypothesis for the present study was supported.

The ability to estimate body mass from human skeletal remains with a high degree of accuracy would be significant for the identification of identifying unknown individuals in a forensic anthropology context, documenting secular change in modern populations, and evaluating any prevalence in prehistoric populations. Modern research investigating body mass incorporates one of two models: morphometric and biomechanical. The morphometric model views the body as a cylinder, where weight estimates are gathered from extreme points such as the breadth of the pelvis. In contrast, the biomechanical model incorporates engineering principles and biology to understand the effects of mass on the human skeleton. Only the biomechanical model can accommodate extremes in body mass, such as those exhibited by modern populations. This study examined the accuracy of estimating body mass (obesity in particular) from human skeletal remains using a suite of traits shown to be significant in previous studies, including documented biomechanical analysis of obese individuals involving gait and sit-to-stand (STS) movements. It was hypothesized that using a combination of methods, body mass could be estimated with a high degree of accuracy. Using a large skeletal sample (n = 191), composed of male and females with documented age, weight, and height, the following three variables were examined: (1) the spinal manifestation of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), (2) osteoarthritis (OA) of the tibiae, and (3) external femoral dimensions. These were then subject to statistical tests. Spearman's rank-order correlation and Mann-Whitney U tests showed significant relationships between DISH and obesity in females (p<.05), but not for males. The presence and severity of OA of the medial condyles were also significantly related to BMI in females (p<.05). In males, the relationship between BMI and OA was only significant on the condyles of the right tibiae (p<.05). Finally, ANOVA and Pearson's product-moment correlation tests were performed to evaluate the cross-sectional dimensions of the femur. The effect of age, stature, and BMI were also examined. ANOVA results showed a significant effect between BMI and M-L cross-sectional dimensions among both sexes (p<.05). Initial Pearson's tests performed separately on males and females showed no significant correlations; however, after the sexes were pooled, small to moderate negative correlations between the M-L/A-P ratio along the diaphysis of the femur and BMI were found. Finally, multiple regression analyses were performed. The models for both sexes with all ten variables was statistically significant for BMI. The final accuracy rate was 78.48% for females and 84.37% for males. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate Moore's (2008) body mass estimation study. In this investigation, however, all dimensions of the femur were performed using an osteometric board and sliding calipers following the guidelines used by Agostini and Ross (2011). The results of this study paralleled many of the observations seen in previous studies, particularly the M-L lateral widening of the femur. Future research should continue to examine the relationship of DISH and OA with body mass, particularly regarding the varying manifestations between the sexes and confounding factors such as age.

This project analyzes the sexual dimorphism of the femur and tibia using geometric morphometrics. The study sample includes 250 individuals of known sex and age at death with complete, non-damaged, non-pathological skeletal remains from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Ages range from 19-96 for males (mean=56.92 years) and 29-97 for females (mean=59.48 years). A combination of landmarks and semi-landmarks were collected on the proximal and distal epiphyses of each bone using a Microscribe, which helps capture the overall size and shape variation present in the sample. Only individuals from one population, White, where analyzed in order to eliminate population variation bias. Classification rates for males and females for the proximal femur were 80.8% and 78.4% respectively, for the distal femur 92.6% and 89.6% respectively, for the proximal tibia 80.8% and 83.2% respectively, and the distal tibia 81.6% and 80.8% respectively, all with a p<0.0001. These rates created a classification model for which epiphysis gave the most accurate assessment of sex: the distal femur, followed by the proximal tibia, then the distal tibia, and lastly the proximal femur. This study indicates the knee joint is the most dimorphic, followed by the ankle and then the hip. The results fall in line with another study indicating the knee is more sexually dimorphic in a modern White population (Spradley and Jantz 2011), though in contrast to their results this study found the distal femur was more dimorphic than the proximal tibia. This method indicates that in comparison to standard measurements, geometric morphometrics may provide a more reliable method for sex estimation when used, specifically on the knee. Certain landmarks were then selected based on the standard taphonomic process of coffin wear and postmortem damage (Pokines and Baker 2014) for exclusion to determine the usability of the method on fragmented or damaged skeletal remains. When combinations of landmarks were removed, the distal femur still possessed the highest classification rates with over 80% accuracy.

A gap in the literature exists regarding the chemical effects of household acids at different concentrations on restored and non-restored dentition. The present study examines the effects of household corrosive products on human dentition. A total of 105 adult teeth consisting of restorations composed of silver amalgam, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, and teeth lacking restorative material were used. The household products utilized were hydrochloric acid (Clorox® Bleach Cleaner and The Works® Toilet Bowl Cleaner) and sulfuric acid (Drano® Drain Opener and Watchdog® Battery Acid), along with one control base (Biz® Detergent). Teeth were radiographed before and after exposure to the products and were removed from the solutions after 1, 2, 4, 8, 24, 72, 120 and 264 hours. Documentation included weight, mesiodistal and buccolingual crown measurements, ordinal scoring of alterations, and photography. The results indicate 86% of the teeth could be positively identified by radiographs after exposure. Hydrochloric acid had the most destructive effects to teeth without restorations and those with silver amalgam restorations but had a minimal effect on the porcelain-fused-to-metal samples. Sulfuric acid minimally altered the restored teeth and deteriorated some parts of the enamel and dentin of the non-restored samples. Exposure to the detergent resulted in no change. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if there was statistical relevance in acid type, acid concentration, and the type of restoration of the tooth. Results indicate that acid type, acid concentration and the type of restoration are all statistically relevant for positively identifying an individual through radiographs. The results of this study demonstrate that various household corrosive substances can affect the morphology of teeth, and in some cases, destroy teeth, which could mask the identification of an individual. However, the porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns were minimally affected by corrosive agents and can therefore be used for positive identifications.

Orientador: Monica da Costa Serra / Resumo: Na sociedade, a identificação humana é indispensável tanto por razões legais como humanitárias. Porém, existem situações em que corpos encontrados não são passíveis de reconhecimento ou quando não há suspeição, impossibilitando a identificação. Nesses casos, análises antropológicas são de extrema importância, pois permitem estabelecer o perfil biológico do sujeito. Assim, realiza-se a Reconstrução Facial Forense (RFF) para possibilitar o reconhecimento e levar a uma possível identificação. A RFF, para ser realizada, precisa dos valores das espessuras de tecidos moles faciais (ETMF) em diversos pontos craniométricos. Essas medidas servem como guia para se estabelecer um limiar do contorno da face e podem ser influenciadas por diferentes fatores como sexo, ancestralidade, idade e índice de massa corporal (IMC). Não há na literatura tabelas de ETMFs de crianças e adolescentes brasileiros, para auxiliarem na RFF. O objetivo desse trabalho foi realizar a mensuração da espessura de tecidos moles de crianças e adolescentes brasileiros, a partir de dados de imagens de Tomografias Computadorizadas de Feixe Cônico (TCFC) de indivíduos vivos, considerando-se as variáveis sexo, idade, cor da pele e índice de massa corporal. Neste estudo, foram mensurados os 21 pontos craniométricos pré- determinados por meio do software Osírix Lite, de imagens de TCFC da região de cabeça e pescoço de 103 não adultos brasileiros (39 crianças e 64 adolescentes), obtidas junto aos arquivos de imagens de uma... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In society, human identification is indispensable both for legal and humanitarian reasons. However, there are situations in which bodies found are not recognizable or when there is no suspicion, making identification impossible. In these cases, anthropological analyzes are extremely important, since they allow to establish the biological profile of the subject. Thus, Forensic Facial Reconstruction (FFR) is performed to enable recognition and lead to a possible identification. The RFF, to be performed, needs the values of facial soft tissue thicknesses (FSTT) at several craniometric points. These measures serve as a guide to establish a threshold of the face contour and can be influenced by different factors such as sex, ancestry, age and body mass index (BMI). There are no tables in the literature of FSTTs of Brazilian children and adolescents, to assist in FFR. The objective of this study was to measure the thickness of soft tissues of Brazilian children and adolescents, based on data from Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images of living individuals, considering the variables gender, age, skin color and body mass index. In this study, 21 pre-determined craniometric points were measured using the Osírix Lite software, from head and neck CBCT images of 103 non-Brazilian adults (39 children and 64 adolescents), obtained from the image files of a Clinic of Radiology and Dental Documentation located in the city of Araraquara - SP. According to the obtained results, there wer... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Clemente Maia da Silva Fernandes / Resumo: A Reconstrução Facial Forense (RFF) é uma técnica das Ciências Forenses que possibilita o reconhecimento de um indivíduo, a partir da modelagem dos contornos dos tecidos faciais sobre um crânio encontrado sem identificação. Para isto é necessário ter o conhecimento da espessura dos tecidos moles faciais (ETMFs) que recobrem os pontos craniométricos no crânio subjacente, pois os mesmos são utilizados como base para a obtenção do contorno facial. Fatores como sexo, ancestralidade, idade, e índice de massa corporal (IMC) influenciam tais espessuras. O objetivo deste estudo foi mensurar ETMFs de sujeitos brasileiros adultos vivos, a partir de imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC), considerando-se as variáveis sexo, cor de pele, idade e índice de massa corporal. Foram efetuadas mensurações de 21 pontos craniométricos de referência através do uso do software Osirix Lite. Um total de 92 imagens foram analisadas (62 de sujeitos do sexo feminino e 30 do sexo masculino). Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os homens, na maioria das vezes, apresentaram espessuras de tecidos moles faciais maiores do que as mulheres. Em relação às outras variáveis, houve interação com o sexo a cor de pele nos pontos glabela, nasion, infradentale, eminência frontal, supraorbital e linha oclusal, mas nos pontos eminência mentoniana e suborbital a significância foi correspondente à cor da pele. O IMC não evidenciou interação com o sexo, porém, nos pontos filtro médio e supradentale, os... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Forensic Facial Reconstruction (FFR) is a Forensic Science technique that enables the recognition of an individual, from modeling the contours of facial tissues on a skull found without identification. For this, it is necessary to know the thickness of the facial soft tissue that covers the craniometric points in the underlying skull, since they are used as the basis for obtaining the facial contour. Factors such as sex, ancestry, age, and body mass index (BMI) influence such thicknesses. The objective of this study was to measure the facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) of living adult Brazilian subjects using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, considering the variables sex, skin color, age and body mass index. Twenty-one reference craniometric points were measured using the Osirix Lite software. A total of 92 images were analyzed (62 females and 30 males). The results showed that men, for the most part, had greater facial soft tissue thicknesses than women. In relation to the other variables, there was interaction with the skin color at the glabella, nasion, infradentale, frontal eminence, supraorbital and occlusal lines, but at the eminence points of the chin and suborbital the significance was corresponding to the color of the skin. The BMI did not show interaction with the sex, however, in the medium and supradentale filter points, the men presented higher values of thickness, independently of the BMI. At the remaining points, only BMI influenced the thickness o... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

As Ciências Forenses empregam a técnica de Reconstrução Facial buscando aumentar as possibilidades de reconhecimento humano. Após análise antropológica, a face é esculpida sobre o crânio esqueletizado e divulgada na mídia. Existem várias metodologias para a modelagem do rosto e das características da face, bem como vários dados de espessuras de tecidos moles que auxiliam no contorno facial. Com o intuito de investigar se existe uma metodologia que favoreça mais reconhecimentos e que permita uma maior semelhança com o indivíduo, este trabalho buscou comparar reconstruções faciais manuais feitas com duas abordagens para o preenchimento dos tecidos moles (métodos Americano e de Manchester) e para a predição dos olhos, nariz, boca e orelhas. Também buscou comparar reconstruções realizadas com quatro tabelas de espessuras de tecidos moles, desenvolvidas para brasileiros por estudos prévios, observando a possibilidade de unir esses dados para auxiliar na reconstrução. Um quarto objetivo foi averiguar se existe influência do sexo e do conhecimento anatômico ou forense na frequência de reconhecimentos. O estudo foi dividido em duas fases. Na primeira, duas reconstruções foram realizadas para dois indivíduos alvos (um homem e uma mulher) com os métodos Americano e de Manchester, aplicando dois guias para olhos, nariz, boca e orelhas. As reconstruções foram avaliadas por quarenta indivíduos (homens e mulheres, divididos em 4 grupos - alunos de graduação em Odontologia que não passaram pela disciplina de Odontologia Legal, alunos de graduação em Odontologia que passaram pela disciplina, especialistas em Odontologia Legal e indivíduos que não possuíam conhecimento de anatomia humana) por meio dos testes de reconhecimento e semelhança. Para o alvo feminino, as frequências de reconhecimentos foram 20% e 10% para os métodos Americano e de Manchester, respectivamente; para o alvo masculino, as frequências foram 35% e 17,5%. Em relação à semelhança, as medianas foram menores que 3 (em uma escala de 1 a 5); entretanto, foi verificada uma exceção para a escultura feita com o método Americano para o alvo masculino, a qual apresentou mediana 3. Na segunda fase, reconstruções faciais para quatro alvos (dois homens e duas mulheres) foram obtidas com o método Americano, considerando as quatro tabelas de espessuras de tecidos moles para brasileiros. Dezesseis reconstruções foram avaliadas por cento e vinte indivíduos, também pelos testes de reconhecimento e semelhança. Assim como na fase I, foram considerados o sexo e o grupo dos avaliadores. Para o alvo 1, as proporções de acertos são significativamente maiores para reconstruções feitas com as tabelas de cadáveres (44% e 38%) em relação às com os dados de exames de imagem. Para o alvo 4, as proporções de acertos com os dados de cadáveres (Tedeschi-Oliveira et al.) e com os de ressonância magnética foram significativamente maiores comparados às reconstruções com dados de tomografias computadorizadas. Em relação à semelhança, somente o alvo 1 mostrou diferenças significativas de frequências de semelhança leve entre reconstruções. Além disso, não houve influência nem do sexo, nem do conhecimento de anatomia nas frequências de reconhecimentos corretos. Espera-se que a tabela proposta possa ser empregada para a população brasileira. / Forensic Sciences employ Forensic Facial Reconstruction technique to increase possibilities in human recognition. After anthropological analysis, the face can be created on the skeletonized skull and published in the media. There are several methodologies for facial modeling and facial features as well as multiple soft tissue thicknesses data that aid in facial contour. In order to investigate whether a methodology allows more recognition and greater resemblance to a person, this study aimed to compare manual facial reconstructions made with two approaches of filling facial soft tissue (American and Manchester methods) and two approaches to predict the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. This study also intended to compare facial reconstructions carried out with four Brazilian soft tissue thicknesses data, that were developed by previous studies considering the possibily of merging these data for Forensic Reconstruction purpose. A fourth aim was to determine whether sex and anatomical or Forensic knowledge of assessor can influence in frequency of recognition. This study was divided into two phases. In the first phase, two reconstructions were performed for two targets (one male and one female) with American and Manchester methods and applying two guides for eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The reconstructions were evaluated by forty assessors (both sex, divided into four groups - undergraduated students in dentistry who did not study Forensic Dentistry, undergraduated students in dentistry who have gone through the subject of Forensic Dentistry, experts in Forensic Dentistry and individuals who did not have knowlegde of human anatomy) through the recognition and resemblance tests. For female target, frequencies of recognitions were 20% and 10% for American and Manchester methods, respectively; for male target, frequencies were 35% and 17.5%, with significant differences between the proportions of correct responses. Regarding resemblance rates, medians were less than 3 (on a scale from 1 to 5); however, it was found an exception for the sculpture made with the American method for male target, which had median 3. Thus, American method was used for the reconstructions of phase II. In this second phase, facial reconstructions for four targets (two male and two female) were obtained with the American method, considering the four Brazilian soft tissue thicknesses data. Sixteen facial reconstructions were evaluated by a hundred and twenty assessors, also through the recognition and resemblance tests. As in phase I, it was considered the sex and the group of assessors. For the first target, ratios were significantly higher for reconstructions made with data obtained from cadavers (44% and 38%) compared with those obtained from imaging. For the target 4, the proportion of correct responses with data from cadavers (Tedeschi-Oliveira et al.) and from Magnetic Resonance Imaging were significantly higher compared to reconstructions with data from Computer Tomographic scans data. Regarding resemblance, only target 1 showed significant differences in frequency of slight resemblance between reconstructions. In addition, nor sex, nor the knowledge of human anatomy from assessor has influenced the frequency of correct responses. It is also expected that the proposed table be employed for Brazilians.

The forensic examination of wounds is one of the key elements of analysis performed by forensic anthropologists and forensic pathologists. Gross examination and histological analysis can be used to determine the timing of the wound and its cause. While forensic pathologists are trained to analyze hard and soft tissue wounds, forensic anthropologists, bioarchaeologists, and paleopathologists, focus on hard tissue. Forensic anthropologists have the added benefit of potentially working with residual soft tissue and would benefit from the incorporation of microscopy techniques that take advantage of the soft tissue to better understand perimortem events. Little research has been published that examines if any healing processes, the defining characteristic of an antemortem wound that do not progress beyond the time of death, are preserved within the tissues beyond death and how long they may be visible. The objectives of this study were to examine if the use of multiple stains will allow earlier visualization of healing processes in skeletal fractures than gross examination and to observe the length of time microscopic healing structures remain visible after death. A total of 224 slides from 19 specimens representing both fractured and un-fractured bones for control samples were taken from nine autopsied individuals at the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office and analyzed using four stains: Hemotoxylin and eosin (H&E), trichrome, Prussian blue, and elastin stain. Slides were analyzed using a set of 14 scored variables and evaluated with nonparametric statistical tests and cluster analyses. H&E, trichrome, and elastin stains were useful in examining wound age and survival time categories were significantly different for presence of elastin and presence of hemorrhage. H&E and trichrome stains proved useful for observing residual healing structures after death and time cohorts after time of autopsy were significantly different for 11 variables. Results from this study support further testing with larger sample sizes, including samples with a wider range of survival time, to better predict survival times of fractures and time since death.

Orientador: Eduardo Daruge Júnior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T13:54:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tinoco_RachelLimaRibeiro_M.pdf: 2296528 bytes, checksum: 35dba26baf246615db8de57fcd81a76e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Os traços não-métricos na morfologia dental, por sua excelente preservação, e variação inter-populacional livre de pressão seletiva, são reconhecidamente um dos principais focos de observação para os pesquisadores que analisam variação humana e sua relação com o histórico biológico das populações. Considerando sua utilização em contexto forense, o conhecimento das características morfológicas do arco dental da população local permite utilizar estes traços como critério adicional para identificação humana individual com fins periciais. Objetivo: O presente estudo propôs uma análise antropológica da morfologia dental de brasileiros, do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, entre 18 e 30 anos, observando a prevalência de alguns traços antropológicos não-métricos encontrados no arco dental de brasileiros, sua relação com os índices levantados por outros pesquisadores, em amostras de diferentes populações, e seu valor pericial como critério adicional na identificação humana. Metodologia: Foram analisados modelos em gesso de 130 indivíduos (59 homens e 71 mulheres), com os seguintes critérios de inclusão: naturalidade brasileira, com ascendentes brasileiros até segundo grau; presença de, no mínimo, dois elementos dentais hígidos, dentre os dentes-alvo; e ausência de relação de consanguinidade com outros participantes. Foi avaliada a presença de seis traços antropológicos, com frequências étnico-geográficas anteriormente publicadas por outros autores, sendo eles: incisivo em forma de pá, tubérculo de Carabelli, quinta cúspide (tubérculo distal acessório), ausência de cúspide disto-palatina, sexta cúspide (tuberculum sextum), e ausência de cúspide disto-vestibular (molar inferior tetra-cuspidado). Resultados: As frequências obtidas de todos os traços avaliados destoaram das frequências anteriormente apresentadas como referentes aos grupos ameríndio ou sulamericano. A amostra analisada possui pouca semelhança com o chamado complexo dental americano, e nítida influência dos complexos caucasóide e subsaariano, o que está de acordo com os acontecimentos históricos locais / Abstract: The non-metric traits in tooth morphology, for their excellent preservation, and inter-population variation, immune from selection pressure, are known to be one of the major sources of observation for researchers who analyze human variation and its relationship to the populations' biological history. In a forensic context, the knowledge of the local morphological characteristics allows its use as additional criterion for human identification purposes. Objective: This study has proposed an anthropological analysis of tooth morphology of Brazilian individuals from Rio de Janeiro, between 18 and 30 years, listing the prevalence of some anthropological non-metric traits, their relationship with frequencies found by other researchers, in different populations, and its value as additional criterion for in human identification. Methodology: The dental casts of 130 individuals (59 males and 71 females) were examined, with the following inclusion criteria: Brazilian naturality, with Brazilian ascendency until second degree, presence of at least two of the target-teeth healthy, and absence of blood relationship with other participants. We evaluated the presence of six non-metric dental traits with populational frequencies previously published by other authors, as follows: shoveling, Carabelli's cusp, cusp 5 (distal accessory tubercle), hypocone absence, cusp 6, and hypoconid absence. Results: The frequencies of all the traits evaluated differ from frequencies previously presented for Amerindian and South American. The sample has little resemblance to the so called american dental complex, and strong influence of the African Sub-Sahara and European patterns, which is in agreement with local historical events / Mestrado / Odontologia Legal e Deontologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental

Orientador: Eduardo Daruge Júnior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T16:36:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lima_LaiseNascimentoCorreia_M.pdf: 1819162 bytes, checksum: 2ace530cff180f181238887bf0938c83 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O índice de Carrea constitui uma importante ferramenta na estimativa da estatura humana, necessitando para sua aplicação apenas que alguns elementos dentais anteriores inferiores estejam preservados. No entanto, nos casos em que a mandíbula é acometida por um trauma, uma patologia ou por situações diversas, o uso da técnica torna-se inviável. Com isso, ampliar a utilização do índice de Carrea, estendendo-o aos elementos superiores, aumentaria as chances de se realizar o método, principalmente nos casos em que apenas o crânio é encontrado. Diante disso, o presente estudo teve como proposição testar um novo denominador no índice de Carrea, para que o mesmo possa ser utilizado no arco superior, visando um novo recurso para se estimar a estatura humana. Além disso, objetiva-se comparar os percentuais de acerto obtidos entre o arco inferior e superior. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo com 378 modelos em gesso, sendo 189 superiores e 189 inferiores de arcos dentais correspondentes, pertencentes a alunos do curso de Odontologia da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, de ambos os sexos e com idades entre 18 e 30 anos. A estatura dos participantes foi estimada mensurando, com um paquímetro digital, os incisivos central e lateral e o canino, dos arcos superiores e inferiores, bem como dos hemiarcos direito e esquerdo. A partir dessas medidas, foram estimadas, por meio do índice de Carrea, as alturas máxima e mínima com base nos arcos inferiores. Para os arcos superiores foi utilizada uma modificação no denominador da fórmula original de Carrea, de valor 2 para o valor 2,55, de forma que a mesma se adequasse às medidas da maxila. Os valores obtidos foram comparados à estatura real dos participantes, previamente mesurada com um antropômetro. No arco superior, verificou-se diferença estatisticamente significante entre os posicionamentos dentais no sexo masculino e nos hemiarcos direitos, sendo os apinhados o maior percentual de acerto (65% e 65,2%, respectivamente). A avaliação interarcos proposta entre os sexos, para os três tipos de posicionamento dental, demonstrou percentual de acerto estatisticamente significante no sexo feminino entre os hemiarcos normais, com os inferiores apresentando percentual maior (70,0%) em relação aos superiores (42,3%). Já entre os hemiarcos, a diferença estatística pôde ser observada nos lados direito e esquerdo, apenas no posicionamento normal, com os inferiores demonstrando percentuais de acerto maiores (61,5% e 67,6%, respectivamente). Dessa forma, conclui-se que, embora o percentual de acertos no arco superior não tenha sido significante, o método poderá ser utilizado como subsídio para a estimativa da estatura / Abstract: Carrea's index is an important tool in human stature estimation, and requires for its use only some lower anterior teeth preserved. However, in cases of mandibular damage - by trauma, pathology or any other condition - the use of the method becomes impossible. Therefore, expand the use of Carrea's index, extending it to upper dental elements, increases the applicability of the method, especially in cases where only the skull is recovered. Thus, the present study aimed to test a new denominator for Carrea's index, so that it can be used in the upper jaw, which provides a new resource for human stature estimation. The study was conducted with 378 cast models - 189 higher and 189 lower arches - of dentistry students from the Federal University of Paraíba, of both sexes and aged between 18 and 30 years. The stature of the participants was estimated by measuring, with a digital caliper, the central and lateral incisors and canine from upper and lower arches, both sides. From these measurements, the maximum and minimum stature was estimated, according to Carrea's index. Moreover, it was aimed to compare the sucess rates between the upper and lower arches. For the upper arches a new denominator of Carrea's original formula, from 2 to 2.55, so it would fit the the maxilla's measures. The values obtained were compared to the real stature of the participants, previously measured with an anthropometer. In the maxillary arch, there was a statistically significant difference between the teeth alignment in males and in the right hemiarch, with the crowded hemiarches showing the greatest accuracy (65% and 65.2% respectively). The interarch evaluation proposed between the sexes, for the three types of dental alignment proved percentage of success statistically significant in females between the normal hemiarches, with the lower arch showing a higher percentage (70.0%) compared with the upper one (42.3%). Among the hemiarches, statistical difference was observed in right and left sides only in normal position, with the lower arch showing greater success rate (61.5% and 67.6% respectively). It can be stated that although the percentage of success in the upper arch was not significant, the method proposed can be used as additional criteria for the estimation of stature / Mestrado / Odontologia Legal e Deontologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental