Significance of weight and maximum length as an objective for sexing of unknown femora a research study in Punjab.

ABSTRACT

Identification of sex from the skeleton is an important demographic assessment in medico legal investigations. Length and weight of femur are the two reliable skeletal elements for sex determination. Large number of reports does exist about the sex determination from long bones such as femur anthropological and forensic contexts. It is a very well known factor that skeletal dimensions and standards of skeletal identification do vary with different populations. The present study aims at obtaining results from two femoral dimensions in Punjab cadavers to develop standards in determination of sex. In case of femur maximum length and weight are one of the parameters significantly important in sex dimorphism. The matter being of medico legal importance, an attempt was made by forensic experts and anatomists of SGRDIMSAR, Sri Amritsar to carry out various measurements to differentiate the sex of the femora. This was done in femora of either known sex. The diseased femora were rejected. The aim of this study is to prove that the weight and the Maximum length of femur will significantly differentiate the sex of the femora and this fact will help to arrive at an objective process for the sexing of femora of unknown sex.