Positive identification by X-rays bone trabeculae comparison

•Positive (certain) identification is possible by trabeculae patterns comparison.•It is an efficient, easy, cheap and not time consuming method of identification.•This method may be used with altered bodies, but also with fresh bodies by dissecting the useful part of bone in the autopsy room.•The main issue is to get the same beam angle of the X-rays to allow for the comparison.

Positive (certain, absolute) identification of human remains needs a scientific comparison between ante mortem and post-mortem biologic features, as fingerprint, odontological, radiological or DNA comparisons. X-rays comparison has been extensively used, usually comparing some peculiarities such as outlines of the bones, degenerative evolution or pathological conditions. Trabeculae comparisons are sparsely underlined in the forensic literature. We report on a case of decomposed body where fingerprint, DNA and odontological comparisons were not possible. After dissecting the leg and preparing the bones, comparison of ante mortem and postmortem trabeculae led to a positive identification. It was observed that tens of radiolucencies and radiodensities drawn by the trabeculae were useful for comparison, within a very small part of bone. In the case reported here the positive identity could have been assessed only by the comparison of the first metatarsal. The statement of positive identification needs scientific criteria that will be discussed in this article.