1Director I/c and Assistant Professor, School of Forensics, Risk Management and National Security, Rashtriya Raksha University (An Institution of National Importance), At Lavad-Dahegam, Dist. Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India - 382305, Email: deepali.jain@rru.ac.in
2M.Sc. Forensic Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh - 226025, Email: kajaltiwari2510@gmail.com
3M.Sc. Forensic Science, School of Forensics, Risk Management and National Security, Rashtriya Raksha University (An Institution of National Importance), At Lavad-Dahegam, Dist. Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India - 382305, Email: raosaptarshi@gmail.com
4Prof. and Head, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, KGMU, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dr.shalini@gmail.com
*Corresponding Author Dr. Deepali Jain, Director I/c and Assistant Professor, School of Forensics, Risk Management and National Security, Rashtriya Raksha University (An Institution of National Importance), At Lavad-Dahegam, Dist. Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India - 382305, Email: deepali.jain@rru.ac.in
Online Published on 28 July, 2023.
The palatal rugae pattern of an individual may be considered a useful addition for sex determination like fingerprints since palatal rugae are unique to every individual and do not change throughout life but only extend in size according to age. The aim of this study was to identify and compare the rugae pattern in males and females of the Lucknow population, as an additional method of identification of gender in various post-mortem scenarios. Various parameters of palatal rugae such as the number of rugae, shape of rugae, directions of rugae, and unification of rugae were analyzed on 200 dental stone casts (100 males and 100 females). The association of palatal rugae and gender was tested using mean, standard deviation, standard error and t-test value keeping the statistical significance (p>0.05 level). The total number of rugae traced were 2500 in both genders. Males have a greater number of rugae as compared to females. In the present study, primary right-side rugae show a more significant difference (t= 1.993) along with curve left-side pattern (t= 3.792), wavy left-side pattern (t= 3.890), wavy right-side pattern (t= 3.600), circular left side pattern (t= 2.021) and forwardly directed right side rugae (t= 1.822). Further, primary right side rugae, curved left side pattern, wavy right and left side rugae and circular left side rugae were found to be the most notable parameters for sex determination. No two individuals had similar rugae patterns. They can be used to identify people and differentiate between males and females in addition to other tools of identification.
Palatal rugae, Forensic odontology, Sex determination, Human identification
