Morphometric Analysis Of The Ramus Of The Mandible For Sex Determination

Skeletal identification is the initial step in forensics and plays a major role in the identification process. Skull bone is known to show the second most sexual dimorphism, following pelvis with an accuracy rate of 92%. It is relatively hard to find an intact skull. Mandible plays an important role in sex determination as it is the strongest and largest bone showing sexual dimorphism in the skull. This study was aimed to assess the accuracy of morphometric analysis of ramus of mandible in predicting the sex of an individual. This study was done on 30 mandibles in Saveetha Dental college. Careful assessment was made from the measurements of the ramus of the mandible and results obtained. It was observed that the antero-posterior length of the ramus in right side in males and females was 4.625 cm and 4.198 cm respectively with a mean total of 4.411 cm. The superoinferior height of the ramus in right side in males and females was 5.276 cm and 4.935 cm respectively, with a mean total value of 5.105 cm. It can be concluded from our study that the ramus of mandible has satisfactory potential for determination of sex. It can be used for forensic cases such as in mass disaster where only damaged and partially preserved mandibles are frequently found.