Author/Authors :
Chinna Nneka، Orish نويسنده UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT Chinna Nneka, Orish , Ibeachu، Chinagorom نويسنده UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT Ibeachu, Chinagorom , Didia، Blessing نويسنده UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT Didia, Blessing
Abstract :
Introduction: The existence of sexual dimorphism in human skeletons especially skull and
its medico-legal importance had long been studied [3] [2,1]. This study has investigated the
existence of sexual dimorphism in cranial dimensions of Nigerian population.
Methods: A total of 100 adult dry skulls, (78 males, 22 females) free from damage and
deformity fully ossified from Departments of Anatomy in Nigerian Universities were used for
this study. Spreading calliper, measuring tape were used to measure the following parameters,
bregma-lambda, lambda- inion, nasion-bregma, nasion-inion, basion-bregma. Graph pad prism
version 5.0 was used to analyze the data, coefficient of variation, correlation, linear regression,
percentiles, sexual dimorphism ratio were computed. Student‘s T-test was used to compare
male-female and right-left measurements.
Results: The results indicate that the male parameters were higher than female parameters and
statistically significant at P<0.05 in all. The length of Bregma-Lambda of male and female were
126.3 ± 0.85mm and 118.1±1.54 mm respectively. The length of lambda -inion of male and
female were 71.31± 0.82mm and 60.01± 1.53 mm respectively. The length of nasion -bregma
of male and female were 135.8± 1.16mm and 128.8.1± 3.17 mm respectively. The length of
nasion-inion of male and female were 170.7± 0.93 mm and 157.5±1.34 mm respectively. The
length of basion-bregma of male and female were 140 ±0.73 and 132 ±1.73 mm respectively.
Sexual dimorphism ratio was greater than unity in all.
Conclusion: The anthropometry of these cranial dimensions can be a guide in gender
determination of unknown individuals and a guide to surgeons in face of surgical intervention.
