Sex determination in adult Egyptians from the second cervical vertebra: an anthropological and radiological study

ABSTRACT

Medico-legal investigations of unidentified human skeletal remains demand a variety of methods for accurate sex estimation [mainly depending on the skull and hipbones]. Physical anthropologists are frequently summoned to provide reliable sex estimation of unknown individuals represented by a few bones. Meanwhile radiology is also employed facilitate medico-legal identification. To evaluate sex prediction through examination of the second cervical vertebra in adult Egyptians by using a simple method and to formulate an equation to help in sex determination. Material and methods: Two groups were included in this study i- The first group consisted of 50 second cervical vertebral bones [26 males and 24 females] from corpses. ii- The second group entailed 50 computerized tomography [CT] scans of second cervical vertebra [30 males and 20 females] performed for living individuals. For each second cervical vertebra, eight measurements were taken [Maximum Breadth Across the Superior Facet [SFB], Superior Facet Transverse Diameter [SET], Dense Transverse Diameter [DTD], Superior Facet Sagittal Diameter [SFS], Length of the Vertebral Foramen [LVF], Dense Sagittal Diameter [DSD], Maximum Height of the Dense [XDH] and Maximum Sagittal Length [XSL]. All the measurements used showed sexual dimorphism except for length of vertebral foramen [LVF] for both groups [bones and living individuals]. The probability of correct sex determination was calculated. Most measurements showed a probability above 80%. Dense Sagittal Diameter [DSD] from the first group and Maximum Breadth across the Superior Facet [SFB] in the second group showed low probability [76.3% and 70.03% respectively] and hence were excluded from the equation. The resultant equations were as follows For sexing of the second cervical bone Y= 8.45 + [O.67x SFB] + [0.36 x SET] + < [0.9 x DTD] + 0.68 x SFS] + [O.63 x XDH]+ [0.046 x XSL] Lf y <17 it is female / If y male. For sexing of the second cervical vertebra from CT films Y= 4.0571+0.46x SFT] +[0.64 x DTD]+5 [0.004x SFS]+ [0.108 x DSD]+ [0.32 x XSL]. If y <7 it is female / If y male. The second cervical vertebra can be used to classify sex with accuracy of more than 90% with the simple method employed in this study