Assessment of sex from endocranial cavity using volume-rendered CT scans in a sample from Medellín, Colombia

Sex estimation is a primary component of the identification of skeletonized individuals in forensic anthropology. The goal of this research was to develop a new method for estimating sex based on measurements of the endocranial cavity by means of volumetric 3D reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) without contrast. The sample consisted of 249 healthy individuals of both sexes whose tomographies were taken by the imaging unit at the San Vicente de Paul University Hospital in Medellin, Colombia. Sixteen measurements (twelve were designed for this study) of each individual's endocranial base were taken and then used to create formulae via logistic regression, thereby yielding a 89.7% overall sex classification accuracy for the general equation. The measurements showing the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism were the maximum width of the basal occipital portion, the maximum width of the foramen magnum, and the maximum distance between foramina ovalia. This study represents the first physical anthropology study of this population.