Determination of sex from femora

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 113; no. 1; pp. 315 - 321
• Main Authors: Mall, Gita, Graw, Matthias, Gehring, Kristina-D., Hubig, Michael
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 11.09.2000; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Anthropology. Demography; Anthropometry - methods; Autopsies; Autopsy; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height; Body measurements; Bones; Circumferences; Diameters; Discriminant Analysis; Female; Females; Femur; Femur - anatomy & histology; Forensic Anthropology - methods; Germany; Height; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Human remains; Humans; Hypotheses; Identification; Male; Males; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Probability; Reference Values; Sex Characteristics; Sex determination; Sex Determination Analysis - methods; Sexual dimorphism; Variables; Europe; Germany; Femur; Discriminant analysis; Identification; Sex determination; Human; Statistical analysis; Anthropometry; Forensic aspect; Corporal biometry; Skeleton; Sexual dimorphism; Bone
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/S0379-0738(00)00240-1

The determination of sex from bones or bone fragments considerably contributes to identifying unknown bodies or skeletal remains. Due to temporal change and regional differences anthropometric standards have to be constantly renewed. The present study provides measurements of femoral dimensions in a contemporary German population and analyses sexual dimorphism by discriminant analysis. Maximum length (male: 46.4±2.4 cm, female: 43.4±2.4 cm), maximum midshaft diameter (male: 3.1±0.2 cm, female: 2.8±0.2 cm), condylar width (male: 8.4±1.0 cm, female: 7.7±0.5 cm), vertical head diameter (male: 4.9±0.3 cm, female: 4.4±0.3 cm), head circumference (male: 15.7±0.8 cm, female: 13.8±1.0 cm) and transverse head diameter (male: 4.9±0.3 cm, female: 4.3±0.3 cm) were measured in 170 femora, 100 from male (age: 16–92 years, mean: 60.8 years; body height: 153–190 cm, mean: 171 cm) and 70 from female (age: 20–96 years, mean: 72 years; body height: 146–175 cm, mean: 161 cm) individuals. In the discriminant analysis (leave-one-out-method) 67.7% of cases could be grouped correctly with the maximum length alone, 72.4% with the maximum midshaft diameter, 81.4% with the condylar width, 86.8% with the vertical head diameter, 87.7% with the head circumference and 89.6% with the transverse head diameter. The stepwise procedure with all head measurements showed that the results for the transverse head diameter could not be improved. With all measurements subjected to stepwise procedure 91.7% of cases could be classified correctly combining midshaft diameter and head circumference ( D=3.012×midshaft diameter in cm+0.780×head circumference in cm 20.569).