Evaluation of the role of patella in sex identification

ABSTRACT

The study of human skeletal remains has been a central component of physical anthropology. The determination of sex from these remains is a very important item in identification. This study was designed to investigate the difference between males and females in patellar anthropometric measurements and detect the accuracy of these measurements in sex differentiation. For this purpose 100 cadavers [50 males and 50 females] were collected from the Morgue of Zeinhoim. They were classified according to their age into 4 age groups. Their patellae were dissected and subjected to seven anthropometric measures including height, width and thickness of the patella and height and width of the internal and external facies articularis. These measurements were statistically analyzed and comparison between males and females in all age groups was done. The statistical data revealed that these patellar measurements can be of great help in sex differentiation. Also the regression analysis of these measurements showed that the most discriminate parameters in sex discrimination were height and width of internal articular facet