Sex Estimation Using Humerus Volume of CT Images in Korean Population: A Metric Study

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the use of three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography images of the adult humerus for forensic anthropological sex estimation in the Korean population. In forensic anthropology, the skull and pelvic bone show high accuracy in sex estimation; however, when they are impaired, other bones should be available for sex estimation. Six hundred images of the right and left humerus pair were used. A logistic regression analysis was performed by measuring the volumes of 500 images and the remaining 100 images were used in the metric sex estimation. Both the logistic regression and metric measurements were performed separately on three regions of the right and left humerus: the head, mid-shaft, and digital regions, The accuracy of sex estimation in the right humerus was 93% (91% for men and 96% for women), 92% (93% for men and 91% for women), and 87% (85% for men and 89% for women) for the head, mid-shaft, and digital regions, respectively. Sex estimation accuracy in the left humerus was 92% (89% for men and 96% for women), 93% (96% for men and 89% for women), and 91% (91% for men and 91% for women) for the head, mid-shaft, and digital regions, respectively. These results contribute to high accuracy and reliability in sex estimation using three-dimensional images of the humerus in Koreans, whereas the two-dimensional metric method provided limited information on bone measurements.