title: Evaluation of foramen magnum in gender determination using helical CT scanning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present research was undertaken to study the accuracy and reliability of the foramen magnum (FM) and some cranial measurements in gender classification through the use of reconstructed helical CT images.
  
  
  METHODS
  88 patients (43 males and 45 females; age range, 20-49 years) were selected for this study. FM sagittal diameter, transverse diameter, area and circumference were measured and data were subjected to discriminant analysis for gender using multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FM circumference and area were the best discriminant parameters that could be used to study sexual dimorphism with an overall accuracy of 67% and 69.3%, respectively. By using multivariate analysis, 90.7% of FM dimensions of males and 73.3% of FM dimensions of females were sexed correctly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that the reconstructed CT image can provide valuable measurements for the FM and could be used for sexing when other methods are inconclusive.
authors: Oral Diagnosis Department, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq. asmaatahseen69@yahoo.com
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Uthman
authors: N H
authors: NH
authors: Al-Rawi
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Al-Timimi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D005539:Foramen Magnum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D054881:Sex Determination by Skeleton / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult