An Alternative Method to Using a Mandibulometer

Mandibular length, mandibular angle, and maximum ramus height measurements used during forensic evaluation of skeletal remains require use of a mandibulometer. This study presents a new method of taking these measurements from images, so that practitioners without access to an expensive mandibulometer or those working with 3D models (e.g., CT scans) can collect and utilize these measurements. Ten trials performed on a sample of 45 mandibles were used to compare measurements collected from photographs and images extracted from 3D surface scans to those collected with a mandibulometer, including intra- and inter-observer analyses. All technical error of measurement (TEM) values were less than 2 mm regardless of observer, trial, or method. Relative TEM values were less than 2% for all except mandibular length (2.10%) and ramus height (2.32%) for the right versus left photographs. Results are comparable with mandibulometer error rates, indicating that the proposed method is accurate and reliable.