Morphometric variations in sigmoid notch and condyle of the mandible: A retrospective forensic digital analysis in North Indian population

Abstract

Introduction: The peculiarity of anatomical structures such as mandible, frontal sinus, sella turcica, nasal septum, and styloid process present in human skull and their variations leads to the revolution in forensic anthropology. The digitization in radiology enables a health professional to store the previous antemortem records and thereby compare it with postmortem records in case of mass disasters. Aim: The present retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the morphological variations in the sigmoid notch and condyles of the mandible and also to determine its peculiarity in establishing individual's identity. Materials and Methods: The study included 1200 panoramic radiographs of individuals in the age range of 10–60 years among population of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The radiographs were taken using PLANMECA machine and enrolled radiographs were outlined using tracing tool installed in the software. The morphological variations of sigmoid notch and condyle in the panoramic radiographs were analyzed bilaterally for both males and females using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Results: The sloping shape of the sigmoid notch was most commonly found (43%), followed by wide (37.66%) and round shape (19.25%). The most common shape of condyle observed was round (46.12%), followed by angled (29.29%), convex (21.95%), and flat shape (2.62%). The distribution of sigmoid notch and condylar shape variations among right and left sides was not statistically significant. Conclusion: In forensic anthropology, the morphological variations among sigmoid notch and condyle of mandible using single panoramic radiographic view can be used as an adjuvant for personal identification.