Mandible in personifying the identity of individuals in mass disasters: An original study with forensic interest

Context: Disaster is an unforeseen and sudden event that causes great destruction, damage, and human suffering. The World Disaster Report published in 2012 showed that the total number of people affected by disasters had significantly increased in the last few decades. This signifies the role of forensic anthropologists in personifying the identity of individuals during mass disasters. The age and sex of an individual can be determined by means of skeletal indicators when soft tissues are not available for analysis. Pelvis is the best skeletal indicator for sex determination. Next to pelvis, skull and head of femur are the next most important skeletal indicators. Furthermore, when the entire skull is not available for analysis, mandible plays a vital role as it is one of the strongest bones in the skull showing dimorphism. Various studies conducted in the past have proven the accuracy of panoramic radiographs in providing anatomical measurements helpful in the identification of individuals. The present study was conducted using digital orthopantomographs (OPGs) for the same. Aim: This study aims to measure and compare various measurements of the ramus in mandible on digital OPGs and to assess the usefulness of such measurements in personifying the identity of individuals by forensic anthropologists during mass disasters. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was done using 500 digital OPGs taken with the help of SIRONA Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric System, and specific measurements of mandibular rami were carried out using the SIDEXIS-XG software. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis. The determination of sex was done by discriminant function analysis. Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 13, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA. Results: All the variables studied in the present study were found to be significant predictors of sex although variables C, D, and E were found to be highly significant with P values obtained being <0.001. Conclusion: The present study concluded that significant sex-related dimorphism was evident in rami of the mandibles indicating their potential in personifying the identity of individuals during mass disasters.