Anthropometric Measurements Versus Radiologic Parameters of Hand Bones for Sex Identification

Overview

Forensic anthropometry is the traditional and basic tool of forensic anthropology. It's the science of obtaining systemic measurements of the physical dimensions of the human body. This, in turn, is a very important parameter in personal identification. Different anthropometric techniques are employed to determine sex from such fragmented body parts. Such anthropometric techniques aim to find cutoff points in the measurement of various body parts or bones that discriminate between males and females. Due to the effect of sex hormones, males are taller, larger and more strongly built than females, so measurements greater than the cutoff point are suggestive of a male and less than that are suggestive of a female.

Personal identification is very challenging for forensic anthropologists.Various anthropological techniques can be used in identifying individuals. The 'big fours' of personal identification are determination of age, sex, stature and race. These form the features of 'tentative identification'. Among these 'big fours' parameters , the determination of sex is not only considered one of the most important parameters; but it can primarily cut half of the possible number of matching identities. But it is also one of the simplest tasks in forensic investigation if the whole body is available; as the external and internal genitalia directly suggest the sex; however, the problem arises when dismembered body parts are found. Nowadays, there are increased events of murders where the mutilation of a dead body is done by murderer to destroy all traces of identity,and additionally, there are increased events of mass disasters where dismembered body parts are found. The pelvis is the best sex-related body part indicator, with 95% accuracy. However, it may not always be available. Recent studies have worked towards the sex determination potentials of other body parts. Hands are one of the most sexually dimorphic parts of the human body.Therefore, sex determination based on radiologic examination of hand bones and hand dimension anthropometric measurements is of considerable importance. Since the use of image processing techniques (e.g., radiography and computed tomography) in sex determination by osteometric measurements of hand bones is costly.