Sex determination using discriminant function analysis in children and adolescents: a lateral cephalometric study

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Medical Imaging
• Biometrics

Background:

• Accurate sex determination is crucial in forensic and clinical contexts.
• Cephalometric analysis offers a non-invasive method for skeletal assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of lateral cephalometry in determining sex among Taiwanese children and adolescents.
• To identify the minimum number of cephalometric measurements required for accurate sex determination.

Main Methods:

• Utilized lateral cephalograms from 50 males and 50 females (mean age ~15.6 years).
• Performed 22 computerized cephalometric measurements, analyzing sexual dimorphism.
• Applied discriminant function analysis, including stepwise selection and cross-validation (leave-one-out).

Main Results:

• All 22 cephalometric measurements exhibited significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.05).
• A model with seven variables achieved 95% accuracy via resubstitution and 91% via cross-validation.
• A reduced model with four variables yielded 92% accuracy (resubstitution) and 91% (cross-validation).

Conclusions:

• Four specific cephalometric measurements provide effective sex determination in adolescents.
• This method offers a reliable and minimally invasive approach for sex identification in this age group.