Estimation of Gender Via Calcaneus Radiological Examinations among Egyptian Populations

Introduction: Bone measurements reveal data concerning both each person and the population to which they belong. The skull and pelvis skeleton are usually used in sex determination; however, the calcaneus is ideal for identifying sex because of its robust composition and resilience against alterations occurring after death. Comparative analysis of calcaneal radiographs allows sex identification for unknown corpses. Methods: This study utilized patient radiographs from the Radiology Department of Zagazig University Hospitals. The study included 54 people (27 males and 27 females) with normal calcanei. The metric values have been taken for seven calcaneus parameters, including maximum width, body width, maximum length, minimum length, the height of the facies articularis cuboidea, tuber angle, and the anterior angle. Results: This study found some significant differences in calcaneal measures among male and female individuals. Males had considerably higher calcaneal dimensions in all studied parameters, including maximum width, body width, maximum and minimum lengths, facies cuboidea height, and angular measurements (tuber and anterior angles). There was a substantial difference in calcaneal anatomy across genders (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study highlights the calcaneal significance in determining gender as well as it offers calcaneus as an effective substitute tool in forensic anthropological sciences in addition to many other sciences.