Morphometrical Analysis of Dry Adult Human Hip Bones by Coxal Index

Abstract

Background: The hip bone is one of the most useful skeletal elements in adult skeleton for sex determination. Hip bone may be used even when fragmentary for both medico legal and archaeological purposes. The aim of the present study is to measure few morphometric parameters of various hip bones and to assess these values both side wise and gender wise. Method: The present study was conducted in department of Anatomy, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore. 100 adult dry human hip bones were included in the study, of which 50 were male and 50 were female hip bones. 50 bones belonged to right side and 50 to left side. The morphometrical parameters measured were length, width and weight of the hip bones. Coxal index was also calculated. Result: Range, mean, median, standard deviation and standard error of mean were determined for each parameter. Conclusions were drawn after comparing the values with series of other workers. Conclusion: The values were slightly higher on the left side compared to the bones of the right side and also the values were more in male bones compared to female bones. The study would help the forensic experts and the anthropologists in specimen identification and sex determination from skeletal remains. It would also be valuable for the anatomists and the orthopedicians in their respective fields. Keywords: Hip bone, morphometry, coxal index, sexual dimorphism, hip bone weight.