The most accurate sex determination using three morphologies in the pubis

Abstract

© 2018 Japan Health Sciences University. Objective: The determination of sex from hip bones has generally been accepted as the single best indicator of sex. The present study aimed to highlight subpubic concavity diagram and pubic bone shape for accurate determination of sex. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and nine pubic bones (181 males and 128 females) from individuals of known sex aged 26 to 89 (average age 65) were obtained from the Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The samples consisted of modern human skeletons all of presumed Asian ancestry. A method using ventral arc, subpubic concavity diagrams, and pubic bone shape to estimate sex was employed. The ventral arc and pubic bone shape were used as in the previous studied criteria but the subpubic concavity diagrams were created by the researcher from subpubic concavities as visual AIDS in determination of sex. The diagram patterns of females and males have clearly different features. These were shown to two observers to determine sex from the samples. Results: The three features of pubic bone sex were correctly estimated in 97.1% of all individuals; being more accurately estimated in female samples (99.6%) than in male samples (95.3%). The accuracy in each feature of the ventral arc was 95.5%, subpubic concavity diagrams was 97% and pubic bone shape was 97.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The sex determination of pubis can employ three features or only subpubic concavity diagrams or pubic bone shape, and the accuracy may be achieved.