Significance of mandibular canal position and its foramina in cone beam computed tomography images of mandible for analysing sexual dimorphism- A retrospective study

Abstract

Background: Determination of gender from unidentified skeletal residue remains an arduous task in a forensic setting and for medico-legal assessment. The use of mandible in the field of human identification is less explored. Therefore, this study was done to analyze sexual dimorphism by identifying the relative location of mandibular canal and the mandibular and mental foramina using cone beam computed tomography images in a sample of south Indian inhabitants. Materials and Methods: This study was done on one hundred twenty cone beam computed tomography images (sixty males and sixty females) with an age range of twenty to sixty years. In these images, eight measurements were performed: six measurements in the coronal view and two measurements in the axial view. The variables between the sexes were compared using a student's t-test with level of significance of < 0.05. Results: All the eight variables were significant in predicting gender (P < 0.05). The mean values of all the measurements were higher in males except for one measurement which was higher in females. A logistic formula was obtained with all the variables to predict gender. Conclusion: The mandibular canal and the foramina showed significant differences among males and females of the study population. Therefore, the location of the mandibular canal and mental foramina can be used for gender determination in the study population.

Keywords

• forensic dentistry
• gender determination
• mandibular canal