Sex Estimation from Mandibular Measurements Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography: A Forensic Perspective

Background: Sex determination is a critical step in forensic identification, particularly when dealing with skeletal remains.The mandible, due to its durability and pronounced sexual dimorphism, plays a significant role in anthropological studies.Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers high-resolution 3D imaging, enabling accurate and reproducible morphometric assessments.This study aimed to evaluate mandibular morphometry using CBCT for sex determination in a selected North Indian population.Materials and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using CBCT scans of 200 individuals (100 males, 100 females), aged 18-60 years.Six mandibular parameters-gonial angle, maximum ramus height, condylar width, bigonial width, mandibular body length, and bicondylar breadth-were measured using DICOM-compatible software.Data were analyzed using SPSS v25.0.Independent sample t-tests, discriminant function analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were applied to assess statistical significance, predictive accuracy, and measurement reliability.Results: All six parameters showed statistically significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.001).Males demonstrated larger values in five parameters, whereas the gonial angle was higher in females.Maximum ramus height and bigonial width were the most predictive of sex.Discriminant analysis yielded an overall classification accuracy of 89.5%.Measurement reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.92).Conclusion: Mandibular morphometry assessed via CBCT provides a reliable and noninvasive method for sex determination.Maximum ramus height and bigonial width emerged as the strongest discriminators.These findings support the use of CBCT in forensic anthropology for population-specific identification standards.