title: Assessment of sexual dimorphism using digital orthopantomographs in South Indians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The identification of human skeletal remains plays a crucial role in forensic investigation and its accuracy depends on the available parts of the skeleton. The mandible is the hardest and strongest bone of the skull, which exhibits a high degree of sexual dimorphism and helps to identify the sex in human remains. The aim of this study was to develop discriminant function to determine sex from the mandibular radiographs in a South Indian (Visakhapatnam) population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study consisted of 384 (192 males and 192 females) digital orthopantomographs (OPGs) divided into five groups according to age. Ten mandibular variables were measured using Planmeca Romexis software. The data were tabulated and subjected to discriminant function analyses using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 20.0) package.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the parameters showed a significant sexual dimorphism (P< 0.001) except for the gonial angle. An overall accuracy of 75.8% was achieved and coronoid height (CrH) was the single best parameter providing an accuracy of 74.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the mandibular variables except for the gonial angle (GA) were found to be reliable in determining the sex in South Indians for forensic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Government Dental College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Sailaja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sambhana
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanghvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, GITAM Dental College and Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Rezwana Begum
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Prasanth Prathapan
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Shanta
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, RKDF Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Anshuj Ajay Rao
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Thetay
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, RKDF Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Varunjeet Singh
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
keywords: Discriminant function; forensic dentistry; mandible; orthopantomographs; sex determination