Sexing of mandible using ramus and condyle in Indian population: a discriminant function analysis

Abstract

The mandible is the strongest bone of theskull, and it is commonly utilized in forensicanthropology for determination of sex fromskeletal remains. It has been extensively studiedby both metric and non-metric methods,but for this purpose an intact mandible isoften required. This study was conducted inIndian population using discriminant functionanalysis to calculate the accuracy of twoparameters each from ramus and condyle, fortheir use in sexing. Discriminant functions (1)and (2) were devised using parameters oframus and condyle respectively. Data analysiswas carried out using SPSS 19.A total of 158 rami from 79 intactmandibles of known sex obtained from dissectionhall of Armed Forces Medical Collegewere studied. Mean values for all the fourparameters; condyle length (CL), condylebreadth (CB), minimum ramus breadth(MnRB) and maximum ramus breadth(MxRB) were greater for males than forfemales, and difference in means calculatedusing student’s t test was significant at Pvalue less than 0.01. The accuracy of discriminantfunction (1) (MnRB and MxRB) in correctlysexing mandible was 89.6% for males,69.2% for females and 82.9% overall. Thesame for function (2) (CL and CB) was 90.6%for males, 30.8% for females and an overall of70.9%.This accuracy is comparable to thoseachieved using parameters from wholemandible, as seen from several studies done invarious populations in the past. Hence fragmentsof mandible with just ramus or condylecan be used for sexing with results as good asthat of whole mandible.

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