Sexual Dimorphism of Femoral Head - An Observational Study in the Population of Odisha

Abstract

BACKGROUND Femur is the longest and strongest bone of the human body. It also takes relatively longer time to disintegrate after death, hence morphometric analysis of skeletal remains of femoral head can be considered for the determination of age and sex for forensic expert, anthropologist as well as anatomist. The present study was an attempt to establish sex of a skeleton by the help of femoral head diameters which will be of great help in medico-legal and anthropometric studies. METHODS The present study was carried out in the S C B Medical College Cuttack from May 2019 to June 2020 by taking 84 dried and intact femora. The vertical head diameter of femoral head and head circumference were measured by the vernier’ s caliper and measuring tape in centimeters. RESULTS The result showed significant difference in the head circumference and the vertical diameter of head of femur of the male and female femora. It was found that the mean femoral head circumference of the male was 13.296 cm with a “S.D” of 0.8694 cm and female was 12.023 cm with a “S.D” of 0.73 cm and vertical diameter of male was 4.1520 cm with a “SD” of 0.3635 cm and that of female femora was 3.7231 cm with a “S.D” of 0.2264 cm respectively. CONCLUSIONS There was a significant difference in the head circumference and the vertical diameter of head of femur of the male and female femora which determines sexual dimorphism. KEY WORDS Anthropometry, Medico-Legal, and Standard Deviation (SD)