Abstract Assessment of the degree of ossification of the
medial clavicular epiphyseal cartilage is of vital importance
in forensic age diagnostics of living individuals aged more
than 18 years. To date, reference studies on the assessment
of clavicular ossification using imaging procedures only
relate to conventional radiography and computed tomography
(CT). In this study, magnetic resonance (MR) scans of
54 sternoclavicular joints of bodies aged between 6 and
40 years were evaluated prospectively. All of the examined
medial clavicular epiphyseal cartilages permitted an assessment
of the degree of ossification. Stage 2 was first
observed at the age of 15.0 years, the earliest age at which
stage 3 was observed was 16.9 years, and stage 4 was first
observed at the age of 23.8 years. The observed age
intervals of the respective degrees of ossification correspond
to the known data from X-ray and CT scan
examinations. The achieved results should be examined
with a larger number of cases. A modified examination
protocol is required for the MR examination of the medial
clavicular epiphyseal cartilage for the purpose of forensic
age diagnostics of living individuals.