Age and Gender Determination using Maxillary Sinus and Sella Turcica on Lateral Cephalogram: A Retrospective Digital Radiographic Study

Abstract

Background: Anthropometry is of immense importance in human identification and plays a major role in medico legal investigation of demise. Lateral cephalogram provides architectural, morphological details of skull and multiple points for comparison also presents various anatomical landmarks. The study aimed to evaluate morphometric analysis of Maxillary sinus& Sella turcica parameters in gender determination& age estimation.Methodology: The study included 300 digital Lateral cephalograms of age range 10-40 years divided in to 3 groups &50 males and 50 females in each age group. Linear measurement was performed for Maxillary Sinus Height, Width and Index & Sella turcica (ST) Length, Depth and Diameter. Results indicated that all the study parameters were found to be statistically significant in determination of age except Sella turcica depth. Maxillary sinus parameters & Sella turcica diameter, length showed significant corelation between age group Group-1 and Group-II. Maxillary sinus width, height& Sella turcica length was found to be statistically significant in determination of gender. Discriminant equation of MS width had highest accuracy of 63.7% in determination of gender.Conclusion: Lateral Cephalogram can be used to determine age and gender using linear measurements of maxillary sinus and Sella turcica.