Development of a new semi-quantitative method of palatal rugae analysis to personal identification: a pilot study and protocol proposal

Personal identification techniques rely on comparing ante-mortem and post-mortem evidence deemed unique to an individual. The Interpol standard of identification establishes fingerprints, DNA, and dental records as primary identification methods. Beyond dentition, odontological analysis can utilize palatal rugae, which are unique anatomical features with high potential for personal identification. However, most forensic approaches to palatal rugae rely on qualitative assessment; a quantitative evaluation of their uniqueness has been largely overlooked. This pilot study preliminarily explores the reliability of a new semi-quantitative method for palatal rugae analysis in forensic identification. Nineteen subjects were recruited, and a dental cast along with a palatal photograph were obtained for each participant. Dental cast images and palatal photographs simulated antemortem and postmortem data, respectively. Six distinct landmarks were identified in both record types, and homologous and heterologous comparisons were performed using image-processing software. Statistically significant differences were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results demonstrated statistically significant differences between homologous and heterologous comparisons (p < 0.05) across most software-acquired parameters. These preliminary findings suggest that this new semi-quantitative method has the potential to effectively distinguish matches from mismatches, highlighting its potential utility in personal identification contexts.