Morphometric Examination of Scapula to Determine Sexual Dimorphism.

Background and Aim: Determining the sex of an individual is possible when we apply appropriate statistical methods using scapular measurements. Determination of sex using scapular measurements is very useful in medicolegal cases, natural disasters and in certain circumstances in which traditionally used bones of skeleton are either absent or fragmented. This study aims to assess sexual dimorphism for identification purposes. Material and Methods: This study was conducted using 40 adult skeletons (25 males and 15 females) with closed epiphysis having intact and well-preserved scapulae. Scapulae were measured in millimetre for MSH, MSB, GCH and GCB with the help of the sliding calliper. For all tests, confidence level and level of significance were set at 95% and 5% respectively. Results: There was a highly significant difference (P < 0.001) between male and female for the mean value of all measurements. So it indicates the existence of strong sexual dimorphism in scapula. Conclusion: Geometric morphometrics techniques feature promising results in the evaluation of skeletal sexual dimorphism, including in the size and shape of the scapula. The results of this study are very useful for sex determination in forensic anthropological and medicolegal cases where skull and pelvic bones are unavailable or damaged. The present study has confirmed that gender can be determined with high accuracy by use of scapular measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]