Identification of Frontal Sinus by means of Form Factors and Fourier Descriptors

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.