We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Determination of Sex from Hand Dimensions in North Indian Population.
- Authors
Kumar, Sanjeev; Kumar, Aman; Prasad, Mukesh; Singh, Nawal Kumar; Chandan, Chandra Bhushan
- Abstract
Introduction: Forensic experts play a crucial role in personal identification in mass disasters such as airline crashes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. In forensic practice, sex determination plays a significant role in establishing identity. Various anthropometric procedures are employed by forensic anthropometrists to ascertain the gender from dismembered corpse pieces. These anthropometric methods seek to determine the measurement threshold for certain body parts or bones that distinguish between male and female. The objectives of the study were to determine cutoff points for hand dimensions and to correlate hand dimensions in both sexes. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna, Bihar. This included 100 healthy MBBS students (50 males and 50 females) aged between 20-30 years, from the first year to the final year, who gave their informed consent to participate in the study. In this study, we recorded three morphometric parameters for each hand in cm, using vernier calipers i.e. length of the hand, breadth of the hand and hand index. The obtained data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 24.0) software. Results: We observed that the mean values of hand dimensions and hand index were more in males than in females. There was a slight bilateral difference in the length and breadth of the hands in the male and female subjects. The anticipated cut-off marks for hand length are 18.31 cm, hand breadth is 7.79 cm, and hand index is 42.58 cm. Hand breadth, followed by hand length and hand index, were more accurate in identifying the sex. Conclusion: Hand dimensions and indices show sexual dimorphism. It was observed that there were minor variations in both sides of the same sex. Cut-off points were determined regardless of the side. A measurement above the cut-off point indicates male sex, while a measurement below the cut-off point indicates female sex. These cut-off points are specific to a particular population and their accuracy has also been calculated. The results of this study may be helpful in identifying the gender of a severed hand during a medicolegal examination. Even in cases where a portion of the hand is retrieved and brought in for analysis, the study has consequences for medicine and law.
- Subjects
PATNA (India); SEX determination; DETECTION limit; MEDICAL sciences; FORENSIC anthropology; VERNIERS; SEXUAL dimorphism
- Publication
European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2024, Vol 14, Issue 2, p558
- ISSN
2042-4884
- Publication type
Article