Estimation of sex from the upper limb measurements of Sudanese adults

Gender determination in adults using calcaneal diameters from lateral foot X-ray images in the Iranian population

Background: Using morphologic features of the bones is the basis of gender determination in anthropology and forensic medicine. In this study, we evaluated the calcaneus diameters for gender determination in the Iranian population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on Iranians referring to Hazrat-e Rasool Hospital’s radiology ward for plain lateral X-ray of the foot. Lateral foot X-rays from 100 men and 100 women were gathered and evaluated for calcaneal indexes. These patients aged between 18 and 80 years old who did not suffer major trauma to the calcaneus bone were recruited. Using a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), four variables were calculated for each X-ray graph: Maximum anterior-posterior length of the calcaneus (MAXL), Maximum height of the bone (MAXH), Height of the cuboid facet (CFH) and Height the calcaneal body (BH). Cut off points for each index were calculated using the area under curve (AUC) in ROC curves.

Results: Lateral foot X-rays from 100 men and 100 women were gathered and evaluated for calcaneal indexes. The means of the four indexes were compared between the sexes which showed all four means are significantly different p value <0.001. AUC for MAXL in differentiating the genders was 0.824, which showed 86.8 as the cut off with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 69.0%. Cut off point for MAXH was set at 59.8 with sensitivity and specificity of 78.0% and 60.0%, respectively. For BH, 49.5 was set as the cut off point with a sensitivity of 79.0% and specificity of 64.0%. The best cut off point for CFH was 27.8 with 76.0% sensitivity and 63.0% specificity.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the calcaneal diameters are reliable criteria for sex determination. Although the cutoff points are different between various races and populations, it is evident that these diameters can be used for sex determination in general.

Different predictive and accuracy models for sex and stature estimation from second- and fourth-digit lengths in the Kinnaur population of Himachal Pradesh, North India: Medico-legal and forensic implications

Forensic anthropologists are not only active in courtroom testimonies but also contribute to disaster victim identification. The timely recovery and identification of victims in any disaster is crucial, and anthropologists play a vital role in this process. In mass disasters such as airplane crashes, tsunamis, earthquakes or terrorist attacks, fragments of dead bodies are usually brought for identification. Each fragment demands special tactics to fulfil any of the basic attributes of forensic identification such as age, sex, stature or ancestry. If sex and stature can be estimated from a single fragment, then it can potentially reduce the identification time and possible victim matches. In this study, an attempt has been made to estimate sex and stature from the second- and fourth-digit lengths. Different predictive and accuracy models have been devised using statistical techniques. No bilateral difference was observed in the digit lengths in either sex. Consequently, an average of the digit lengths was employed for model approximations. The fourth-digit length provided the best sex estimates (M=82.1%, F=79.2%) when binary logistic regression (BLR) statistics were applied. It was also observed that overall sex estimations improved from 78.8% (from BLR) to 79.8% when discriminant function analysis was used for sex estimation. Second- and fourth-digit lengths were used independently and together for stature estimation models for males and females individually and for the pooled sample. In stature estimation models, three major interpretations were perceived: (1) the second-digit length provided the best stature estimates; (2) the estimation models compute better stature estimates for females than their counterparts, that is, standard errors are less in females than males; and (3) second and fourth digits predict more reliable stature estimation when the sex of the digits is known than that of the pooled sample.

Sex determination in a Spanish population based on sacrum

Sex determination is one of the essential steps when it comes to establishing an individual's biological profile. It is important in both archaeology and forensic studies. The sacrum is not generally conserved, but in cases where it is, it can be used for determination of the sex of skeletal remains. Furthermore, the sacrum is not a commonly studied bone and has not been studied in a Spanish population. For this study, measurements of 170 sacra of individuals from the contemporary osteological collection of San José from Granada including only the adults were taken. Measurements based on the anatomical regions of the sacra were established in order to obtain some regression formulas to determine sex. Our results show that the Superior Transverse Line and Right Lateral Sacral Crest are the most dimorphic structures, achieving a 74% rate of correct classification of sex in a univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, when the mentioned variables were combined, an 81.41% rate of correct classification was achieved. Our results show that our method can be applied with other methods at the same time to determine the sex of individuals in forensic and archaeological contexts.

Anthropometric correlations between parts of the upper and lower limb: models for personal identification in a Sudanese population

PURPOSE

Identification of a deceased individual is an essential component of medicolegal practice. However, personal identification based on commingled limbs or parts of limbs, necessary in investigations of mass disasters or some crimes, is a difficult task. Limb measurements have been utilized in the development of biological parameters for personal identification, but the possibility to estimate the dimensions of parts of limbs other than hands and feet has not been assessed. The present study proposes an approach to estimate the dimensions of various parts of limbs based on other limb measurements.

METHODS

The study included 320 Sudanese adults, with equal representation of men and women. Nine limb dimensions were measured (five based on the upper limb, four based on the lower limb), and extensive statistical analysis of the distribution of values was performed.

RESULTS

The results showed that all of the measured dimensions were sexually dimorphic and that there was a significant positive correlation between the dimensions of various parts of limbs. Regression models (direct and stepwise) were developed to estimate the dimensions of parts of limbs based on measurements pertaining to one or more other parts of limbs.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed that the dimensions of parts of the upper and lower limb can be estimated from one another. These findings can be used in medicolegal practice and extended to constructive surgery, orthopedics, and prosthesis design for lost limbs.

Topological variability and sex differences in fingerprint ridge density in a sample of the Sudanese population

Fingerprints are important biometric variables that show manifold utilities in human biology, human morphology, anthropology, and genetics. Their role in forensics as a legally admissible tool of identification is well recognized and is based on their stability following full development, individualistic characteristics, easy classification of their patterns, and uniqueness. Nevertheless, fingerprint ridge density and its variability have not been previously studied in the Sudanese population. Hence, this study was conducted to analyze the topological variability in epidermal ridge density and to assess the possibility of its application in determining sex of Sudanese Arabs. The data used for this study were prints of all 10 fingers of 200 Sudanese Arab individuals (100 men and 100 women) aged between 18 and 28 years. Fingerprint ridge density was assessed for three different areas (radial, ulnar and proximal) for all 10 fingers of each subject. Significant variability was found between the areas (p < 0.01). Women showed significantly higher ridge density in the three areas for all and each fingers. Men and women showed similar patterns of densities with distal areas being denser than proximal ones. Side asymmetry was more evident in distal areas. Ridge density thresholds for discrimination of sexes were developed. Hence, fingerprints found in forensic examinations/crime scenes can be useful to determine sex of Sudanese individuals based on fingerprint ridge density; furthermore, ridge density can be considered a morphological trait for individual variation in forensic anthropology.

Cephalo-facial analysis to estimate stature in a Sudanese population

Medico-legal practitioners are often confronted with dismembered remains from which they need to develop a biological profile to establish identity. Accurate estimation of stature is an initial, crucial component of any meaningful medico-legal evaluation. However, sometimes only cephalo-facial remains are available. The most accurate statistical estimations of biological attributes are based on population-specific standards. Therefore, this study assessed the ability to estimate stature using 15 cephalo-facial measurements in 240 Sudanese adults (120 men, 120 women) aged 18-25years. Stature and cephalo-facial measurements of men were significantly higher than those of women. Most of the measurements were significantly correlated with stature (p<0.05), with better correlations for women than for men. The accuracy of stature estimation using sex-specific simple and stepwise multiple regression equations ranged from ±52.53 to ±60.28mm. This study provides new forensic standards for stature prediction in a Sudanese population. However, the equations should be used with caution in forensic cases when the more reliable body parts (e.g., limbs) are not available for human identification.

Estimation of sex from the anthropometric ear measurements of a Sudanese population

The external ear and its prints have multifaceted roles in medico-legal practice, e.g., identification and facial reconstruction. Furthermore, its norms are essential in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies and the design of hearing aids. Body part dimensions vary in different ethnic groups, so the most accurate statistical estimations of biological attributes are developed using population-specific standards. Sudan lacks comprehensive data about ear norms; moreover, there is a universal rarity in assessing the possibility of sex estimation from ear dimensions using robust statistical techniques. Therefore, this study attempts to establish data for normal adult Sudanese Arabs, assessing the existence of asymmetry and developing a population-specific equation for sex estimation. The study sample comprised 200 healthy Sudanese Arab volunteers (100 males and 100 females) in the age range of 18-30years. The physiognomic ear length and width, lobule length and width, and conchal length and width measurements were obtained by direct anthropometry, using a digital sliding caliper. Moreover, indices and asymmetry were assessed. Data were analyzed using basic descriptive statistics and discriminant function analyses employing jackknife validations of classification results. All linear dimensions used were sexually dimorphic except lobular lengths. Some of the variables and indices show asymmetry. Ear dimensions showed cross-validated sex classification accuracy ranging between 60.5% and 72%. Hence, the ear measurements cannot be used as an effective tool in the estimation of sex. However, in the absence of other more reliable means, it still can be considered a supportive trait in sex estimation. Further, asymmetry should be considered in identification from the ear measurements.

Morphological study of palatal rugae in a Sudanese population

Palatal rugae patterns have unique characteristics and have been proposed as an alternative method to establish identity when other means, such as fingerprints and dental records, are not attainable. This study was conducted to determine the morphological characteristics of palatine rugae and to assess the existence of side asymmetry in them in Sudanese Arabs. It also assesses the possibility of determining sex using logistic regression. One hundred dental casts for 50 males and 50 females aged between 18 and 23 were studied for palatal rugae dimensions, shapes, and orientations, as well as sexual dimorphism and side symmetry. The most predominant rugae were primary, and the most prevalent shapes in both sexes were wavy, curved, and straight forms. The predominant orientation was forward. Side asymmetry existed more in the orientations than in the shapes, but no side asymmetry was recorded in the dimensions. There was no significant sexual dimorphism in the rugae dimensions, shapes, and orientations, except for forward-directed rugae (P < 0.037). A predictive value of 60% was obtained in assigning sex using dimensions and orientations and of 58% using shapes alone. Therefore, the palatal rugae are not recommended for assigning sex effectively among Sudanese Arabs unless it is the only means available.

A study of correlations within the dimensions of lower limb parts for personal identification in a Sudanese population

The presence of an isolated limb or limb parts from different individuals presents a major challenge for medicolegal investigators in establishing identification in cases of wars, mass disasters, and criminal assaults because different populations have different sizes and proportions. The measurement of lower limb dimensions showed a high success rate in establishing individual identity in terms of sex and stature in various populations. However, there is a paucity of data concerning the correlation within the lower limb parts. This study aims to assess the existence of relationships within lower limb parts and to develop regression formulae to reconstruct limb parts from one another. The tibial length, bimalleolar breadth, foot length, and foot breadth of 376 right-handed Sudanese adults were measured. The results showed that all variables were significantly larger in males than in females. A significant positive correlation (P < 0.001) was found within the lower limb parts. Sex-specific linear equations and multiple regression equations were developed to reconstruct the lower limb parts in the presence of single dimension or multiple dimensions from the same limb. The use of multiple regression equations provided a better reconstruction than simple regression equations. These results are significant in forensics and orthopedic reconstructive surgery.

A study of the anthropometric correlations between upper limb measurements for personal identification in Sudanese population

The presence of multiple isolated commingled fleshed limbs or limb parts generates a significant challenge for forensic investigators in wars, mass disasters, and criminal assaults in the process of identification. Although upper limb measurements have been used to establish individual identity in terms of sex and stature with high success, there is a scarcity of data concerning the correlations within upper limb parts. Hence, this study aims to assess the relationships within upper limb parts and develop regression formulae to reconstruct the parts from one another. The study participants were 376 Sudanese adults (187 males and 189 females). The results of this study indicated significant sexual dimorphism for all variables. The results indicated a significant correlation within the upper limb parts. Linear and multiple regression equations were developed to reconstruct the upper limb parts in the presence of a single or multiple dimension(s) from the identical limb. Multiple regression equations generated better reconstructions than simple equations. These results are significant in forensics and orthopedic reconstructive surgery.