Study of the Mandibular Canal as an Indicator for Sexual Dimorphism.

Introduction: this study aimed to evaluate the volume of the mandibular canal in computerized tomography and to investigate if this anatomical structure presents sexual dimorphism and the probability to determine the sex from the mandibular canal volume by regression analysis. Methods: Were used 125 computed tomography from adults dried human mandibles selected at random ranging in age from 19 to 100 years (48 females and 77 males). Software Mimics 18.0 was used to image segmentation and to create 3D reconstruction to obtain the volume of the mandibular canal. Statistical tests used were unpaired Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney comparative test, considering the right and left mandibular canals separately. Regression analysis test was performed to verify the probability to determine the sex. Results showed no significant difference between the sides, p>0,05. Results: The male distribution of the mandibular canal data was not parametric, considering the right canal separately. Mandibular canal volume presented statistical significance for sexual differentiation. Conclusion: Our study presented the accuracy over 85% of the regression analysis show a great result to determined sex using the MC volume, should apply the formula in a different sample for best results. It is useful in forensic scenarios for systematic reassessment of cases and improvement of anthropologic methods used secularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]