A Metric Method for Gender Determination Among Adult Patient in University of Benin Teaching Hospital using Femoral Head
Chris-Ozoko, Lilian Ebele, Otuaga, Peter O, Eferavwere and SuccessAbstract: The femur is one of the chosen bones for sex determination although the skull and the round heads of the ball joint also provide reliable means for determination of sex. The femur is the longest and heaviest bone in the body. It transmits body weight from the hipbone to the tibia when a person is standing. The femur consists of a shaft (body) and two ends, superior or proximal and inferior or distal. The superior (proximal) end of the femur consists of a head, neck, and two trochanters (greater and lesser). This work was carried out with the use of X-ray films of adult pelvis (230 males and 200 females) collected from university of Benin teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The Objectives is to establish differences between (genders) among patient in university of Benin teaching Hospital. That is, by measurement of the transverse and vertical diameter of the head of femur. Some numbers of X-ray films of femurs of adult individuals were collected. Their ages ranged between 18 and 90 years and their gender taken note of. The vertical and transverse diameter of the head of the femur was measured using a sliding Caliper. The demarking point and the identification point identifies the sex of a higher percentage of a male femur while the mean diameter of the head of the male femur was significantly greater than that of the female (P<0.001). The results clearly show the importance of femur in determination of sex. Both identification and demarking points for males were greater than those of females. It therefore follows that when femurs with intact heads are provided; sex can be assigned to them.
Keywords: Gender determination; Femur; Nigeria Back to TOC