A Study of Sternum as an Indicator of Sex

Establishing the identity of a dead body is a crucial and exacting process for a Forensic pathologist especially when the body is mutilated, decomposed or skeletonised. Since bones exhibit morphological differences with respect to sex, various bones including the sternum have been used for sex determination. This being the objective of the study, 153 sternum from autopsy specimens were collected and studied utilizing various measurements of the bone which were then statistically analysed. Length and breadth of the manubrium and body of sternum, its total length and sternal index were the parameters studied based on which sexing was carried out. All the measurements except the sternal index, quite significantly were found to be more in males compared to females. Certain values for these parameters were obtained from this study, which could be suitably used for determination of sex in situations like those mentioned above.