A medicolegal autopsy is performed on the body of a newborn found abandoned. The investigating officer asks whether the infant was born at term. Which single radiological finding best supports that the fetus was carried to full term?
- A Presence of the ossification centre in the upper end of the humerus
- B Presence of the ossification centre in the lower end of the femur ✓
- C Presence of the ossification centre in the upper end of the tibia
- D Complete fusion of the ischiopubic rami
Correct answer: B. Presence of the ossification centre in the lower end of the femur
Explanation
The centre for the lower end of the femur appears around the ninth month of intrauterine life, so its presence on radiograph indicates a full-term fetus. The upper tibial centre also appears near term but is less consistently used as the sole indicator. The upper humeral centre appears much later, around the first year after birth. The ischiopubic rami fuse in childhood, around seven to eight years, so this finding is irrelevant to gestational maturity.
Reference: Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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