From Skull to Identity: Cephalometric Parameters as Predictors of Stature, Sex, and Ethnicity in Pakistan

Background: Head anthropometric measurements are crucial for identifying unknown bodies, dismembered parts, and decomposed corpses, especially when DNA profiling is unavailable. These measurements help distinguish sex and ethnic differences, which are vital in forensic investigations. Understanding biophysical skeletal variations across ethnicities is vital for medico-legal identification. This study aimed to correlate and predict stature, sex, and ethnicity using head and face measurements in a Karachi-based population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine &Toxicology, Ziauddin University Karachi, from January to June 2022. A total of 236 healthy Participants (126 males, 113 females), aged 20-60 years, representing various ethnic groups, were selected using non-probability consecutive sampling. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 24, and analyses included normality assessment, descriptive statistics, ANOVA, post hoc tests, multiple regression, and Pearson correlation to evaluate cephalometric parameters' association with stature, sex, and ethnicity in adults aged 20–60. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Significant differences in mean stature were observed between males (170±6 cm) and females (159±6 cm) (P<0.001). Cephalometric parameters correlated with biophysical traits (P<0.05). Head circumference predicted stature (ß=0.657, P=0.022), while morphological face height predicted sex (ß=-5.704, P<0.001), stature (ß=0.187, P=0.023), and ethnicity (ß=1.336, P<0.001). Maximum head length predicted ethnicity (ß=-0.502, P=0.04) and stature (ß=0.295, P<0.001). Conclusion: Head and face measurements offer a reliable identification method, especially in cases of incomplete bodies, aiding forensic applications in determining stature, sex, and ethnicity.