Measurement of Hyoid Bone Morphometric Parameters for Sex Prediction in Iranian Population

Abstract

Anatomical and anthropological study of hyoid bones could be used in the sex prediction from skeletal remains. The aim of this study is to examine the morphometrical parameters of the hyoid bone individuals of the Iranian population. The study was carried out on 248 hyoid bones taken from cadavers Referred to Kahrizak Legal Medicine Center in 2020. Four anthropometric indices of hyoid bone were studied and have been associated with the sex and height of the individuals. The study included 179 (72.2%) males and 69 (27.8%) female cases. No significant difference was observed between the two gender groups in terms of age (P=0.678). The indexes of hyoid bones measured were compared between male and female genders, and the results show that the transverse distance between the tubercle of the greater horn, the Anterior/posterior dimension of the body, the distance between the upper and lower margin of the body in the middle (height) and the maximum depth of concavity on the posterior surface of the body, was associated with the sex determination (P<0.001). The four hyoid bone indexes measured in this study were higher in males compared with females, which indicates that hyoid bone morphometry can be used for sex determination in the Iranian population.

Keywords

• Hyoid bone
• Morphometric indices
• Sex determination
• Anthropology