Mandibular Ramus linear measurements as an Indicator of Chronological Age and Sex in Egyptian Population

Abstract

Background: The determination of age and sex is crucial for establishing human identity. The mandible is an accessible and durable bone that is very useful in this respect. Aim:To assess the efficacy of measuring the mandible ramus length in the identification of age and sex in a group of Egyptians. Subjects and Methods:The length of the ramus of the mandible was measured in lateral craniofacial scans of 213 individuals (99 males and 114 females) with an age range of 7-58 years using cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT). Results:Sexual dimorphism was not observed until age of 17 years in this sample. There was not found any significant differences in the length of the ramus of the mandible between males and females in the age range of 7 to less than 17 years (P-value = 0.2495). There was a significant difference between males and females for the mean length of the ramus in the age range of 17 to 58 years (P-value < 0.0000). It predicts sex with an accuracy of 67%. There was a positive correlation between and (age) and log e (ramus length) (r=0.73, P-value < 0.0001 for females and r=0.85, P-value <0.0001 for males). Therefore, it was possible to calculate each individual's age based on his or her mandible ramus length. Conclusion:The mandibular ramus length is valuable in age estimation and less valuable in sex determination. Computerized tomography examination is a safe and an accurate procedure with minimal radiation exposure, and provides valuable precise information regarding mandible measurements. KEY WORDSMandible-Ramus length-Cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) -Age and sex identification-Egyptians (3288) Shimaa M. Motawei, et al.