title: Accuracy of mandibular measurements of sexual dimorphism using stabilizer equipment.
abstract: The objective of this investigation was to compare the accuracy of mandibular measurements using a stabilizer (MS) with gold standard computed tomography (GS) images. Sixty mandibles were studied. Werth TomoScope HV Compact® was used to obtain CT images (GS), and the MS was also used. Analysis of the CT scans was performed using the VG Studio Max software® (Volume Graphics GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany), and MS was used after the proper positioning of the mandible. Descriptive and paired t test measures were used, and a ROC curve was calculated, as well as sensibility and specificity. MedCalc and STATA 13.0® were used (95% level of significance). Bicondylar breadth, bicoronoid breadth and minimum ramus breadth reached the highest concordance correlation coefficients at 0.99 (0.99-1.00), 0.99 (0.99-1.00) and 1.00 (0.99-1.00), respectively. Comparing observers with GS, the lowest accuracy was noted for the maximum mandibular length [0.59 (0.45-0.69), 0.64 (0.51-0.74)], the breadth of the right (0.14 (0.04-0.23), 0.14 (0.004-0.24)) and left mandibular body [0.14 (0.03-0.24), 0.16 (0.05-0.26)], and the right [0.58 (0.45-0.69), 0.63 (0.51-0.73) and left (0.59 (0.45-0.70), 0.59 (0.46-0.69)] mandibular angle. Various measurements exhibited good sensibility for males using MS: maximum mandibular length (78.12), bicondylar breadth (78.12), left mandibular notch breadth (84.37), and the left height of the mandibular body at the mental foramen (75.00). High specificity in discriminating females was observed for the left maximal ramus height (85.19), mandibular length (85.71), bicoronoid breadth (96.43), right height of the mandibular body at the mental foramen (82.19), bimental breadth (78.57), breadth right (92.86) and left (96.43) mandibular body, minimum ramus breadth (89.29), and left mandibular angle (85.71). MS was able to discriminate sexual dimorphism.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais Torralbo
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Michel-Crosato
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo de Novaes
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Benedicto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Teaching and Research in Forensic Sciences , Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Airton Saavedra de
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas - IPT, Microprecision Dimensional Metrology and Metrotomography Laboratory, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diogo Cesar Borges
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Gabriela Haye
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Biazevic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult