Sternal index: Is it a reliable indicator of sex in the Maharashtrian population of India?

Hunnargi, Shahin A.; Menezes, Ritesh G.; Kanchan, Tanuj; Lobo, Stany W.; Uysal, Selma; Herekar, N.G.; Krishan, Kewal; Garg, R.K.

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2008.08.004

« Previous Next »Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 16, Issue 2 , Pages 56-58, February 2009

Sternal index: Is it a reliable indicator of sex in the Maharashtrian population of India?

Shahin A. Hunnargi, MBBS MS (Assistant Professor)
- Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
Ritesh G. Menezes, MD DNB (Assistant Professor)
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India
- Corresponding author.
Tanuj Kanchan, MBBS MD (Assistant Professor)
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India
Stany W. Lobo, MSc (Senior Grade Lecturer)
- Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India
Selma Uysal, MBBS MD (Senior Radiologist)
- Department of Radiology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
N.G. Herekar, MBBS MS (Professor)
- Department of Anatomy, R.C.S.M. Government Medical College, Kolhapur, India
Kewal Krishan, MSc PhD (Senior Lecturer)
- Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
R.K. Garg, MSc PhD (Professor)
- Department of Forensic Science, Punjabi University, Patiala, India

Received 14 January 2008; received in revised form 28 May 2008; accepted 16 August 2008.

Abstract

Sex determination is an important initial step in forensic investigation of unknown human skeletal remains. The present analysis is an attempt to determine the sex of the sternum using sternal index as a parameter in a Maharashtrian population of India. Sternal index is calculated in 115 adult sternums of confirmed sex (75 male and 40 female) for sexual dimorphism. The sternal index is derived by dividing the length of manubrium by the length of mesosternum and multiplying it by 100. Although the sternal index is found to be significantly higher in females, the analysis suggests that sex determination cannot be made conclusively from the sternal index in the Maharashtra region of western India. The study further concludes that the applicability of Hyrtl’s law in sex determination is limited.

Keywords: Forensic anthropometry, Skeletal remains, Identification, Sex determination, Sternal index, Maharashtrian population