Estimating Sexual Dimorphism Using Mandibular Ramus in an Egyptian Cohort: A Radiographic Approach

In forensic science, determining the sex of human skeletal remains is critical, particularly in the context of missing persons and mass casualty events. This study evaluates the efficacy of mandibular metrics in determining sexual dimorphism within an Egyptian sample. A retrospective analysis was performed on orthopantomographs from 92 males and 80 females, examining eleven mandibular parameters. Using stepwise discriminant analysis, four predictive models were developed to identify the best indicators of sex differentiation. Significant differences were noted across all parameters between sexes, with coronoid height, projective height, and mandibular canal length emerging as the most sexually dimorphic measures. Conversely, gonial angle and bicondylar length were the least variable. The findings underscore the potential of mandibular indices as reliable markers for sex determination in forensic investigations.