International Journal of Anatomy Radiology and Surgery (Sep 2024)
A Cross-sectional Study on Gonial Angle Variations by Age and Gender in Tertiary Care Centre, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
Introduction: The mandibular angle, also known as the gonial angle, is the posterior-most point of the mandible where the ramus and body meet. This angle is crucial in forensic science for identifying gender and age. Aim: To determine whether gonial angle is related to gender and age. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using 68 lateral cephalograms from participants aged 11-40 was conducted in the Department of Anatomy in collaboration with the Department of Dentistry at Era’s Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Gonial angle measurements were obtained using a digital protractor. Lateral cephalograms of participants with jaw fractures, acquired skeletal deformity, and postsurgical cases were excluded from the study. To analyse the variation in gonial angle across different age groups, participants were categorised into three groups: 11-20, 21-30, and 31-40. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA to compare the gonial angles among the different age groups. Results: The gonial angle in males was recorded with a mean value of 119.757 and standard deviation of 7.6131, while for females the mean value was recorded as 118.811 with a standard deviation of 5.9614. The mean value of the gonial angle in the age group of 11-20 was 119.734° for males, while for females it was 119.487°. In the age group 21-30 the mean value of gonial angle in male was 113.5° while in females it was 115.112°. There were no male participants in the age group 31-40, however the mean value of gonial angle in females was 122.8°. Conclusion: The current study’s results indicate that gonial angle varies across different age groups, particularly showing a discernible difference between the ages of 21-30 and 31-40, which can be utilised to determine an individual’s age. No statistically significant difference in gonial angle was found across genders.
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