Is Facial Geometric Morphometrics a Useful Method for Age Estimation in Children and Adolescents? Limited Evidence and Lack of Studies Leave Us with an Uncertain Answer.

Facial geometric morphometrics is a non-invasive method that has recently shown potential applications, including age estimation, diagnosis of facial abnormalities, monitoring facial development, and evaluating treatment outcomes. A systematic review identified two studies that demonstrated the use of facial geometric morphometrics for age estimation in children and adolescents, showing promising results in terms of accuracy and error. This finding could be particularly relevant in forensic investigations. However, a research agenda should be established to prioritize the assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of facial morphometric geometrics in estimating age among children and adolescents.