Abstracto

Morphometry of the Foramen Magnum: An Important Tool in Sex Determination

Santhosh CS, Vishwanathan KG, Ashok Gupta, Siddesh RC, and Tejas J.

To determine the sexual dimorphism from the foramen magnum of South Indian human skulls and its importance in the field of forensic medicine as well as in clinical medicine. The study was conducted on 101 dry South Indian human skulls (Male – 63 and Female - 38) which belong to the museum of the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology and the Department of Anatomy, JJM Medical College, Davangere, Karnataka. Anteroposterior (LFM) and transverse (WFM) diameters of foramen magnum were measured by using Vernier calliper. All measurements were tabulated followed by student “t” test and descriptive statistics were done in SPSS version to know the “p” value for the significance. The mean anteroposterior diameter of foramen magnum in males was 34.37 mm and in females it was 33.80 mm. The mean transverse diameter of foramen magnum in males was 28.98 mm and in females it was 27.60 mm. The result obtained demonstrated that significant sexual dimorphism ispresent in the foramen magnum of South Indian human skulls.