Determination of Sex by Occipital Condyle Intercondylar Distance and Foramen Magnum Among South Indian Population

摘要

The morphometric evaluation of occipital condyle, intercondylar distance and foramen magnum is clinically interesting because of its relation with its contents. Occipital condyles are two bony elevations present on either side of foramen magnum in the base of the skull which articulates with the superior articular facet of the atlas vertebra, connecting the skull with the vertebral column. The diameters of the foramen magnum are very important because the vital structures passing through it and for sex determination of skulls. The aim of the present study is to determine the sex by occipital condyle, inter-condylar distance and foramen magnum among South Indian population. The study used dry skulls of south Indian populations and vernier calipers for measurement. Completely ossified 50 adult human dry skulls of unknown age and sex were taken from the Department of Anatomy of saveetha dental college, chennai were used for the study. The skull samples which were deformed were excluded from the study the length and breadth of occipital condyles, distance from each occipital condyle, dimension of foramen magnum were measured using a digital vernier caliper graded upto 0.01mm. Observations made were tabulated. According to the present study The average diameter of the occipital condyles of male was found to be 13.72 ± 0.42 mm. The average diameter of the occipital condyles of female was found to be 12.82 ± 0.54 mm. The average length of the intercondylar distance in male was found to be 30.41 ± 4.75 mm. The average length of the intercondylar distance in female was found to be 27.76 ± 3.88 mm. The average diameter of the foramen magnum in male was found to be 31.52 ± 5.14 mm. The average diameter of the foramen magnum in female was found to be 29.18 ± 4.32 mm respectively. Detailed morphometric analysis of occipital condyle, intercondylar distance foramen magnumwill help in the estimation of sex though all the parameters doesn’t proove to be effective but it can serve as an additional criteria in case of skull obtained with damages on the cranial bones. This study will be useful also for the anatomist, neurosurgeon, radiologist, and morphologists’ clinical anatomists to carry out further detailed morphometric analysis.