Mental foramen morphometrics on cone-beam computed tomography determines sexual dimorphism

Abstract

Introduction: Identification of humans during a lifetime, as well as acknowledgment even after death, is an inalienable right and forms the core of human dignity. A pivotal step in the identification of human remains is sex determination, as age and stature discernment depends on it. Determination of sex from unknown skeletal remains is extremely challenging, especially when fragmented bony remains are available. Among the various morphological landmarks of the mandible, the mental foramen is considered to be one of the most stable that can be used in sex authentication. Hence, it was used to identify a sexual dimorphism in a mixed Indian population in the present study. Materials and Methods: Two-hundred cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were selected from the archival database and analysed for the present study using morphometric features of the mental foramen i.e., the measurement of: The distance from the superior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mandible (SLM), The distance from the inferior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mandible (ILM) and the distance from the superior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mental foramen (VD). Results: Females showed a caudal positioning of mental foramen toward the base of the mandible as compared to males. A statistically significant difference was noted in the dimensions of SLM, ILM and VD, with all the three distances being larger in males when compared to females. Logistic regression analysis showed an overall significance of P < 0.0001 and a prediction score of 89%. Conclusion: Mental foramen morphometrics on CBCT enables sex determination in the Indian population with a predictive score of 89%.