Evaluation of Sexual Dimorphism Using Condylar and Coronoid Mandibular Parameters in Orthopantomograms: A Pilot Study

Background Gender determination is critical to forensic science and medico-legal applications. Given that it is the most dimorphic bone in the skull and is frequently found intact, the mandibular bone may be extremely important in determining gender. Orthopantomograms (OPGs) are quite helpful in accurately estimating age and sex in this regard. It is a laborious task for forensics to determine the gender of victims of mass casualties, natural disasters, and severely dismembered bodies. The mandible, which is susceptible to development spurts, has a high degree of accuracy for determining sex. Aim  This study aims to evaluate the potential use of coronoid height and condylar height as reliable anatomical markers for determining gender. Materials and methods In this study, 100 samples were used as study samples, 50 of which were male and 50 of which were female, in the age group of 20-30 years. The OPGs were obtained using a Planmeca Promax Scara 3 Digital OPG Machine (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland), with settings of 70 kVp, 8 mA for 0.9 seconds, ensuring a 1:1 ratio. The images were then transferred to Planmeca Romexis® Viewer Software, Version 6.0 (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland) for measurement recording. Results Descriptive statistical analysis was done for this study and discriminant analysis was also done to create a population-specific formula. Results showed that the standard mean error for males concerning condylar height was 2.3 and coronoid height was 0.7. The standard mean error for females by condylar height was 1.6 and coronoid height was 0.6. The p-value was significant for coronoid height in both males and females. The p-value was not clinically significant for condylar height in both males and females. Conclusion The study's findings indicate that a larger mandibular angle is advantageous for gender assessment and helps with gender dimorphism. Out of both the parameters evaluated, coronoid height has shown statistical significance in both males and females. Hence, the study concludes that the parameter, coronoid height can be utilized to assess the gender of an individual.