title: Intercondylar shelf angle in adult black Malawian subjects.
abstract: In this study, we determined the intercondylar shelf angle of the femur in adult black Malawian subjects as measured in lateral radiographs of the knee joint. A total of 856 radiographs were used: 464 from men and 392 from women, aged 18-70 years. A goniometer measured the intercondylar shelf angle at the intersection between Blumensaat's line and a line drawn along the edge of the distal third of the femur parallel to the posterior cortex of the bone. The mean intercondylar shelf angle of 136.60 degrees +/- 5.90 degrees in Malawians of both sexes was significantly different from 142.57 degrees +/- 5.86 degrees for American subjects (P < 0.001), as given by Craig (1995, J. Forensic Sci. 40:777-782), but the level of statistical significance between black Malawian females and black American females was at P < 0.01. Using the intercondylar shelf angle, 66.67% of male Malawians were correctly identified as such and 50.00% of Malawians females as such. Eighty-three percent of males and 81.30% of females were correctly identified as blacks. This angle has been shown to exhibit sexual dimorphism in Malawian subjects. Its importance in forensic anthropology is stressed.
authors: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre 3, Malawi. Pigbigbi@yahoo.com
authors: P S
authors: PS
authors: Igbigbi
authors: B C
authors: BC
authors: Msamati
authors: T M
authors: TM
authors: Ng'Ambi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography