A method for visual determination of sex, using the human hip bone.
A new visual method for the determination of sex using the human hip bone (os coxae) is proposed, based on a revision of several previous approaches which scored isolated characters of this bone. The efficacy of the methodology is tested on a sample of 402 adults of known sex and age of French and Portuguese origins. With the simultaneous use of five characters of the hip bone, it is possible to provide a correct sexual diagnosis in 95% of all cases, with an error of 2% and an inability to identify sex in only 3%. The advantage of this new method is a reduction in observer subjectivity, since the evaluation procedure cannot involve any anticipation of the result. In addition, this method of sex determination increases the probability of a correct diagnosis with isolated fragments of the hip bone, provided that a combination of elements of one character is found to be typically male or female.
Bruzek
Jaroslav
J
U.M.R. 5809 du C.N.R.S., Laboratoire d'Anthropologie des Populations du Passé Université Bordeaux I, 33405 Talence, France. j.bruzek@anthropologie-u.bordeaux.fr
D000328:Adult; D000885:Anthropology, Physical / Q000379:methods; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis