Correlation of Sexual Dimorphism and Posterior Curve Length with the Help of Discriminant Function Analysis-An Autopsy Study in the Population of Delhi.

Identification is the determination of the individuality of a person based on certain physical characteristics.¹ The sternum is one of the bones which has drawn considerable attention in this field, particularly in relation to sexual dimorphism and its application in estimation of stature.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the sexual dimorphism of sternum, based on measurement of posterior curve length, in fresh and dry sterna.

The study was conducted in the mortuary of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, on 100 cases (50 males; 50 females) in which medico-legal postmortem examination was done. Both wet as well as dried specimens of the sternum of the deceased aged above 18 years were examined for the study. Prior approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee was taken for the same.

Posterior curve length of the sternum was found to be larger in males as compared to females, in both wet and dry sternum. Hence, by placing these values in the discriminant function analysis, sex can be estimated with an accuracy of about 91% and 87% for wet and dry sterna, respectively. However, these values were found to be more accurate in females in both wet and dry states; accuracy for sex determination with wet sternum was found out to be 88% for males and 94% for females, and 84% for males and 90% for females, with dry sternum.

Determination of sex by means of posterior curve length is a reliable indicator in both wet and dried state of the bone. The accuracy rate was high for females, both with the wet and dry specimens.