Background:The identification of skeletal remains is of paramount importance in medico-legal investigations. The skeletal components most often investigated for gender determination are the pelvis and skull, with the mandible being a practical element to analyze sexual dimorphism in the fragmented bones. Presence of a dense layer of compact bone makes it very durable and well preserved than many other bones. Mandibular ramus can be used to differentiate between sexes and it also expresses strong univariate sexual dimorphism. When skeleton sex determination is considered, metric analyses on the radiographs are often found to be of superior value owing to their objectivity, accuracy, and reproducibility.Aims and Objectives:(1) To measure, compare, and evaluate the various measurements of mandibular ramus as observed on orthopantomographs. (2) To assess the usefulness of mandibular ramus as an aid in sex determination.Materials and Methods:A retrospective study was conducted using orthopantomographs of 50 males and 50 females, which were taken using Kodak 8000C Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric System (73 kVp, 12 mA, 13.9 s). Mandibular ramus measurements were carried out using Master View 3.0 software. The measurements of the mandibular ramus were subjected to discriminant function analysis.Results:We observed each variable of the mandibular ramus to be a significant predictor in classifying a given sample (P < 0.001).Conclusion:This study on mandibular ramus measurements using orthopantomograph shows strong evidence suggesting that the ramus can be used for gender determination for forensic analysis.

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Background and Objectives: Dermatoglyphics deals with the study of the epidermal ridges and their congurations on the ngers, palms and soles. Epidermal ridge patterns form early in fetal development and remain unchanged throughout life and play a signicant role in the diagnosis of many disorders with genetic background. As the primary palate, lip and dermal ridges develop during the same period of intrauterine life, the genetic message contained in the genome - normal or abnormal, is deciphered during this period and is also reected by dermatoglyphics. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the different dermatoglyphic patterns and their correlation with skeletal malocclusions. The study was conducted on 90 individuals divided into 3 equal groups- skeletal Methods: class I, II and III. Dermatoglyphic patterns were recorded using ink method following rolling impression technique. The dermatoglyphic data was assessed for different nger ridge patterns and total ridge count (TRC). On compar Results: ison skeletal class I group showed markedly decreased number of loops and increased total ridge count (TRC). Skeletal class II showed markedly increased number of loops and markedly decreased TRC. Skeletal class III showed markedly decreased number of arches and increased TRC. Loops were found to be the most predominant pattern in skeletal class II and III groups. The mean TRC was found to be increased in skeletal class III group and markedly decreased in skeletal class II group which was statistically signicant. Dermatoglyphics can be used as a screening tool and for early prediction of skeletal mal Conclusion: occlusion at a younger age group. Dermatoglyphics have important practical and clinical implications which can be applied for preventive and interceptive orthodontics among paediatric patients and also for parent counseling.