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Abstract
Therhomboidfossaofclavicle wasstudiedgloballybyforensicexpertsandanthropologiststo determinetheageandsex. Thisstudy was done on samples of human clavicles from North Karnataka of South India to determine the sexual dimorphism which is of anthropological, forensic and clinical importance. In this study mid shaft circumference, morphology of rhomboid fossa of clavicle was analysed. The incidences of rhomboid fossa of depressedandelevatedtypes are seen more in males and smooth and flat typesare seen mainly in female clavicles. This study also showed relative degree of sexual dimorphism in the mid shaft circumference of male and female clavicles. Since morphology of rhomboid fossa and mid shaft circumference of clavicles are significantly associated with sex, these resultscan be correlatedwithfurther molecularstudies.These resultsmaybe used as indicators todeterminesex inanthropology andforensicsciencetoaididentificationof isolatedbonespecimens.
Keywords:forensicscience,rhomboidfossa, morphologyofclavicle,anthropology,sexual dimorphism.
Introduction
The clavicle is described as a long bone which has a shaft and two ends.1 The costoclavicular ligament (ligamentum costoclaviculare) or rhomboid ligament, on its insertion in the inferior surface of medial end of clavicle, can produce impressions, tuberosities, depressions, and even a fossa, known anatomically as the rhomboid fossa,11 which is of anthropological importance. Sometimes the depressed type of fossa may bevery large and iscalled as excavated in type morphologically.
In the identification of humans, especially in the determination of the sex of whole skeletons, or isolated parts, the process of identification becomes progressively complex.11 Determination of gender and estimation of age are the two most important attributes of biological identity of an individ u al. Bot h t he m orph o logica l and morphometrical traits of human skeletal elements have been widely used in establishing suchasanidentity of aperson.15
Of all the long bones, the clavicle is the only one placed horizontally in the body and it possesses many gender and age specific non-metric traits.15 The rhomboid fossa of clavicle is one of these morphologic traits which have been studied by various workers as an estimator of sex and age.11, 15, 7, 6 Sexing methods are suitable only for the population group from which they were derived and the reliability of a method decreases when it is applied to another unrelated populationgroup.11,4
Previous studies have evaluated the relationship between the presence of clavicular rhomboid fossa, and sex in skeletons of various human populations worldwide, and found significant results related to incidence...