Abstract :
Individual identification based on radiographic frontal sinus comparison is considered a reliable means of establishing positive identification. An ante mortem craniography was compared to a post-mortem craniography. However, due to the position and distance at which the X-rays have been acquired, this comparison can not be carried out by a simple visual inspection. Digital Image Processing techniques are an important contribution in this discipline because they provide a quantitative description of the frontal sinus. The present work outlines a method of comparison of cranial cavities stemming from an analysis of Form Factors and of the most significant Fourier Descriptors. Simulated and real images resulting from digital X-rays were analysed. A range of numeric values was obtained from this procedure, which, in turn, allows for an indication of the similarity between two closed curves. This contribution helps minimize the expert´s subjectivity when he is to carry out an identification that should be strictly accurate.
