Sex determination using hand phalanges: X-ray study on Iranian population

Abstract

• All anthropometric measurements of the phalanges are significantly higher in males than females. • The accuracy of sex estimation for the fingers derived from the stepwise analysis was 81.7 – 83.2%. • Measuring the phalanx dimensions cannot be a very accurate method for estimating sex. Bone anthropometric indices have a crucial role in sex estimation in forensic medicine. Although the pelvis and the skull are the most valuable bones in this regard, they may not always be available. The present study aimed to estimate the sex using the anthropometric measurements of hand phalanges in the living Iranian Population. In this population-based study, the anthropometric parameters of the right-hand phalanges were measured on X-ray images of 208 Iranian males and females aged 25 to 70 years. Discriminating function analysis was used to estimate the sex and obtain its formula. Comparison of these variables through t-test showed that all measurements were significantly higher in males than females (p < 0.001). By entering all three measures of the maximum length, proximal width, and distal width of the phalanx in the analysis model, the sex estimation diagnostic accuracy was 74.5 - 80.8% for proximal phalanges, 72.1-80.8% for distal phalanges, and 76.0-80.8% for middle phalanges. In the stepwise diagnostic analysis model, the diagnostic accuracy was 81.7 – 83.2% for the right fingers. According to the results of this study, measuring the phalanx dimensions using X-ray images cannot be a very accurate method for estimating sex. Due to the limited number of studies in this field, further research can be conducted to obtain more comprehensive, highly sensitive sex discrimination equations using hand bone dimensions for different populations.