Condylar Height: Age and Sex Determination Using Orthopantogram in Forensics

Background: Since time immemorial, Condyles has been the area of interest for anthropologists, and the condyle size in men is higher than that of women. The condyle measurement is usually studied in two planes, i.e. anteroposterior and mediolateral, which are more gender-alliant. Different conventional X-rays are used for condylar imaging whose panoramic views of both condyles are provided by the OPG. For the creation of biological profiles during mass disasters the skull has remained useful. However, the technical procedures must in most cases be based on fragmented skull bones, when the whole skull is not available.

Materials and Methods: The study samples were retrieved from DIAS of Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals between the retrospective months from November 2020 to February 2021. The study sample consisted of 300 OPG’s (150 males and 150 females), which were taken using Genoray Papaya machine, of age ranging from 10 to 24.9 years in which mandibular condylar height was measured using PlanmecaRomexis Software.

Results: The standard deviation for evaluation of condylar height for female is ±4.38 while for males it is ±4.91.The standard error mean for condylar height for females is 0.35808 and for males is 0.40136 with non-significant p value of 0.893.

Conclusion: By analysing the condylar mandibular height, the results of this study could improve human identification.For validation and comparison purposes, further research may be required in order to expand other associated parameters into a broader sample size.