title: Sex assessment using measurements of the first lumbar vertebra.
abstract: Sex determination is a vital part of the medico-legal system but can be difficult in cases where the integrity of the body has been compromised. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for sex assessment from measurements of the first lumber vertebrate. Twenty-nine linear measurements and five ratios were collected from 113 Chinese adult males and 97 Chinese adult females using digital three-dimensional anthropometry methods. By using discriminant analysis, we found that 23 linear measurements and two ratios identified sexual dimorphism (P<0.01), with predictive accuracy ranging from 57.1% to 86.6%. Using a stepwise method of discriminant function analysis, we found three dimensions predicted sex with 88.6% accuracy: (a) upper end-plate width (EPWu), (b) left pedicle height (PHl), and (c) middle end-plate depth (EPDm). This study shows that a single first lumber vertebra can be used for this purpose, and that the discriminant equation will help forensic determination of sex in the Chinese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Glaucoma, Ophthalmic Hospital, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen Xu
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Fu Bo
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Kai Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Wen Song
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: You Qiong
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D054881:Sex Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed