The gender predictive value of sternal length.

Area of Science:

• Forensic anthropology
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Sex determination is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Skeletal landmarks are often used for sex estimation.
• Sternal morphometry has potential for sex prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of sternal length in predicting sex from chest X-rays.
• To determine the accuracy of sternal length for sex estimation in an adult population.
• To assess the combined utility of sternal length and costal cartilage mineralization for sex determination.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of sternal length (manubrio-mesosternal) on post-mortem chest X-rays.
• Analysis of 617 autopsied adult cases.
• Calculation of gender predictive values.
• Evaluation of costal cartilage mineralization patterns.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in mean sternal length were observed between men and women.
• Mean sternal length in women was 22 mm less than in men.
• Gender predictive values of 0.95, 0.90, and 0.80 were achieved.
• A sternal length range of 143-157 mm showed predictive values below 80% accuracy.
• Combining sternal length with costal cartilage mineralization improved accuracy to 85%.

Conclusions:

• Sternal length is a reliable indicator for sex estimation from chest X-rays.
• Combining sternal length with costal cartilage mineralization enhances sex determination accuracy.
• This method offers a valuable tool for forensic sex assessment.