title: Sex estimation from sternal measurements using multidetector computed tomography.
abstract: We aimed to show the utility and reliability of sternal morphometric analysis for sex estimation.Sex estimation is a very important step in forensic identification. Skeletal surveys are main methods for sex estimation studies. Morphometric analysis of sternum may provide high accuracy rated data in sex discrimination. In this study, morphometric analysis of sternum was evaluated in 1 mm chest computed tomography scans for sex estimation. Four hundred forty 3 subjects (202 female, 241 male, mean age: 44 ± 8.1 [distribution: 30-60 year old]) were included the study. Manubrium length (ML), mesosternum length (2L), Sternebra 1 (S1W), and Sternebra 3 (S3W) width were measured and also sternal index (SI) was calculated. Differences between genders were evaluated by student t-test. Predictive factors of sex were determined by discrimination analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Male sternal measurement values are significantly higher than females (P < 0.001) while SI is significantly low in males (P < 0.001). In discrimination analysis, MSL has high accuracy rate with 80.2% in females and 80.9% in males. MSL also has the best sensitivity (75.9%) and specificity (87.6%) values. Accuracy rates were above 80% in 3 stepwise discrimination analysis for both sexes. Stepwise 1 (ML, MSL, S1W, S3W) has the highest accuracy rate in stepwise discrimination analysis with 86.1% in females and 83.8% in males. Our study showed that morphometric computed tomography analysis of sternum might provide important information for sex estimation.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Forensic Medicine (OE); Department of Radiology (EH, EI, IE); Department of Orthopaedics, Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey (MGB); Department of Rheumatology, Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Tekirdag, Turkey (DS); and Department of Forensic Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey (IOC).
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ekizoglu
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hocaoglu
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inci
authors.forename: Mustafa Gokhan
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bilgili
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solmaz
authors.forename: Irem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erdil
authors.forename: Ismail Ozgur
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Can
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D054881:Sex Determination by Skeleton; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014421:Turkey