Cancellous bone use in the estimation of sex in a South African cadaveric and forensic sample

Bosch, Jason

Cancellous bone use in the estimation of sex in a South African cadaveric and forensic sample

Thesis / Dissertation

2025

Publisher

University of Cape town

Department

Department of Pathology

Faculty

Faculty of Health Sciences

Abstract

The increasing number of unidentified individuals has become a growing concern worldwide. These individuals, whose identities remain unknown following medico-legal autopsy, present a complex challenge for authorities and communities alike. Forensic anthropology is a valuable tool to assist in the identification process, however further research is necessary to alleviate the increasing number of unidentified individuals. Imaging techniques such as X-rays and CT scanning have become an avenue in which research into the field of anthropology has expanded. LODOX imaging finds itself in an ideal position due to its widespread availability in most mortuaries in South Africa, primarily used for trauma analysis and identification of foreign objects. The overall aim of the study is to assess radiographic and dry bone measurements of the proximal femur for sex estimation in a South African population. This was done by assessing radiographic and dry bone parameters (e.g., traditional morphometric parameters and assessment of cancellous area and indirect density) for association with sex. Femora (58 males and 32 females) from the University of Cape Town Skeletal Repository were included in the study. Models generated were applied to a forensic cohort. Seventeen of the twenty-four variables included in this study were found to be significantly associated with sex. To determine the best possible model for sex estimation, an all-sub-sets logistic regression was performed. The two best models (model 1: cancellous area; model 2: cancellous area, maximum length and physiological length) that were generated, both showed an 88.2% agreement with previous sex estimates when applying them to a new cohort.

Keywords

Pathology

Reference:

Collections

Masters

Full item page