Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 4 , Pages 223-226, May 2008

Foot index: Is it a tool for sex determination?☆

  • Rohan Moudgil, MSc (Post Graduate Student)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Forensic Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147 002, India
    • ,
  • Ramneet Kaur, MSc (Post Graduate Student)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Forensic Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147 002, India
    • ,
  • Ritesh G. Menezes, MD, DNB (Assistant Professor)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore 575 001, India
    • ,
  • Tanuj Kanchan, MD, DFM (Assistant Professor)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore 575 001, India
    • ,
  • Rakesh K. Garg, PhD (Professor)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Forensic Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147 002, India
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.

Received 28 February 2007; received in revised form 21 July 2007; accepted 11 October 2007.

Abstract 

Identification of an individual is of paramount importance in forensic investigations. The dimensions of the foot can be used for the determination of sex and stature of an individual in forensic investigations. No systematic studies are available on the determination of sex from foot measurements of North Indians. Therefore, foot index is derived to determine the sex of an individual in a single community of North India. The foot index for both genders is derived by dividing the foot breadth by foot length and multiplying it by hundred. In the present investigation, the foot index is found to be slightly higher in females in the right foot and males in the left foot. The study suggests that although foot length and foot breadth show significant sex differences, sex determination cannot be made conclusively from the foot index.

Keywords: Forensic science, Forensic anthropology, Physical anthropology, Foot index, Sex determination, North India, Identification

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☆ The abstract of this paper is published in the Proceedings of the 6th International Congress of the Baltic Medico-legal Association.

PII: S1752-928X(07)00158-8

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2007.10.003

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 4 , Pages 223-226, May 2008

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