Determination of sex From the Human Adult sternum: An Autopsy Based study

Determination of sex from the skeletal remains is of immense importance in the field of forensic medicine. Various anthropometric studies conducted in this part of the globe have demonstrated sternum as an important tool for determination of sex when less specific/sex indicative bones are available. This study aims to study, compare and analyze the sterna measurements among both sexes and evaluate the reliability of different parameters to determine sex from an adult sternum. 120 sterna (65 male and 55 female) were collected from the autopsy. After cleaning and drying for three weeks, three readings each were taken and the averages of the results were recorded in millimeters. Metric data was summarized as mean, standard deviations and percentage proportions. Among the five parameters used it was proven that the width of the sternum at the level of 4^th rib was the most reliable parameter in determining the sex. The application of Hyrtl's law to the study proved that 40% of male sterna and 98.18% of female sterna obeyed it. The application of Ashley's rule of 149 and 136 revealed that 81.66% of male sterna and 90% of female sterna could be sexed accurately.