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Identification of the dead is significant in examination of unknown, decomposed and mutilated human remains. Establishing the biological profile is the central issue in such a scenario, and stature estimation remains one of the important criteria in this regard. The present study was undertaken to estimate stature from different parts of the sternum. A sample of 100 sterna was obtained from individuals during the medicolegal autopsies. Length of the deceased and various measurements of the sternum were measured. Student's t-test was performed to find the sex differences in stature and sternal measurements included in the study. Correlation between stature and sternal measurements were analysed using Karl Pearson's correlation, and linear and quadratic regression models were derived. All the measurements were found to be significantly larger in males than females. Stature correlated best with the combined length of sternum, among males (R = 0.894), females (R = 0.859), and for the total sample (R = 0.891). The study showed that the models derived for stature estimation from combined length of sternum are likely to give the most accurate estimates of stature in forensic case work when compared to manubrium and mesosternum. Accuracy of stature estimation further increased with quadratic models derived for the mesosternum among males and combined length of sternum among males and females when compared to linear regression models. Future studies in different geographical locations and a larger sample size are proposed to confirm the study observations., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Background: In forensic sciences to determine one's sex is quite important during the identity defining stage. The reliability of sex determination depends on the completeness of the remains and the degree of sexual dimorphism inherent in the population. Computed Tomography is the imaging modality of choice for two- and three-dimensional documentation and analysis of many autopsy findings., Objective: The aim of the present work was to assess the reliability of Three-dimensional Multislice Computed Tomography (3D MSCT) to determine sexual dimorphism from certain chest measurements; sternum and fourth rib using the 3D MSCT and to develop equations for sex determination from these bones among adult Egyptians sample., Subjects and Methods: The present study was performed on 60 adult Egyptians. Their age ranged from 21 up to 74 years and they were equally divided between both sexes. Sixty virtual chests (reconstructed Multislice Computed Tomography 3D images) were examined for detection of Sternal measurements; Manubrium length (ML), Sternal body length (BL), Manubrium width (MW), Sternal body widths(BWa&BWb), Sternal area (SA) [(ML + BL) × (MW + BWa + BWb)/3]and Fourth rib width (FRW)., Results: All the studied measurements were significantly higher in males than in females. Multiple regression analysis was used to and three significant regression equations were developed for predicting sex using the different studied chest measurements; the sternal measurements, the sternal area and the widths of the right and left fourth ribs with their accuracies 96.67%.95.0%.72.68% respectively., Conclusion: Sterunm and fourth rib width revealed significant metric sex differences with the use of Multislice Computed Tomography 3D images thus provide a great advantage in the analysis of skeletal remains and badly decomposed bodies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Forensic anthropologists examine and identify skeletal, dismembered and commingled remains in a legal context to establish the biological profile of the deceased. Stature estimation is one of the important parameters in establishing the biological profile. The present study is planned to derive regression models for stature estimation from sternal measurements. Various factors are likely to affect stature estimation in forensic investigations. Since, none of the previous researchers have studied the effect of fusion status on stature estimation from sternum and its segments, the present study attempts to find if the fusion status of the sternum affect its reliability and accuracy in stature estimation. The sample of the present study consisted of 117 sterna that were obtained from autopsied bodies. Five measurements i.e. Length of manubrium (M), length of mesosternum (B), combined length of manusbrium and mesosternum and the (M + B), width at first sternabrae (S1) and width of 3rd sternabrae (S3) were taken on the autopsied sterna. The sterna were classified as fused (both manubriosternal and xiphisternal joints were fused), partly fused (only one of the manubriosternal or xiphisternal joints was fused) and not fused (both manubriosternal and xiphisternal joints were not fused). Regression models were derived using statistical methods. All the sternal measurements show a positive however, a weak correlation with stature. Thus, it can be concluded that the accuracy and reliability of stature estimation from sternum and its segments is quite low in practical situations. Among the sterna classified based on the fusion status, the length measurements of completely fused sterna show significant correlation with the stature. None of the other sternal measurements on the non-fused or partly fused sterna show statistically significant correlation with stature. The present study concludes that the fusion status of the sternum is likely to affect the reliability and accuracy in estimation of stature. The findings of this study however, should be considered 'preliminary' until they are corroborated by similar studies based on larger samples from different populations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the present investigation was to generate linear regression models for stature estimation on the basis of sternum length derived from computed tomography-volume rendering technique (CT-VRT) images for Western Chinese. The study sample comprised 288 individuals of Western Chinese, including 124 females and 164 males, with documented ages between 19 and 78 years, and was randomly divided into two subgroups. The linear regression analysis for the calibration sample data yielded the following formulae: male stature (cm) = 137.28 + 1.99*combined length of manubrium and mesosternum and female stature (cm) = 111.59 + 3.51* combined length of manubrium and mesosternum. Pearson's correlation coefficients for the regression models were r = 0.459 and r = 0.541 for the male and female formulae, respectively. The standard errors of the estimate (SEE) were 4.76 cm for the male equation and 6.73 cm for the female equation. The 95% confidence intervals of the predicted values encompassed the correct stature of all specimen in the validation sample. The regression equations derived from the sternum length in the present study can be used for stature estimation and the length of the sternum is a reliable predictor of stature in Chinese when better predictors of stature like the long bones are not available, and the CT-VRT method may be a practical method for stature estimation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Estimation of stature is one of the principal elements in practical forensic casework involving examination of skeletal remains. The present study was undertaken to estimate stature from the length of the sternum in South Indian females using a linear regression equation. The material for the present study consisted of intact sternums belonging to adult females of South Indian origin aged between 25 and 35 years of age obtained during medico-legal autopsies. The length of the sternum was measured as the combined length of the manubrium and the mesosternum (body of the sternum) from the incisura jugularis (central suprasternal notch) to the mesoxiphoid junction along the mid-sagittal plane using vernier calipers. A linear regression equation [Stature = 111.599 + (3.316 × Length of the sternum)] was derived to estimate stature from the length of the sternum. The correlation coefficient was 0.639. The standard error of the estimate was 4.11 cm. The present study concludes that the length of the sternum is a reliable predictor of stature in adult South Indian females and can be used as a tool for stature estimation when better predictors of stature like the long bones of the limbs are not available when examining skeletal remains., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Estimation of stature is one of the important initial steps during forensic analysis of human skeletal remains. The aim of the present study was to derive a linear regression formula for estimating stature of adult South Indian males from the length of the sternum. The study included 35 male sternums of South Indian origin dissected from cadavers during medico-legal autopsies. The linear regression equation [Stature=117.784 + (3.429 x Sternal length)] was derived to estimate the stature from the length of the sternum. The correlation coefficient was 0.638. The standard error of the estimate was 5.64 cm. This preliminary study concludes that the length of the sternum can be used as a tool for stature estimation in adult South Indian males.

Sex determination is an important initial step in forensic investigation of unknown human skeletal remains. The present analysis is an attempt to determine the sex of the sternum using sternal index as a parameter in a Maharashtrian population of India. Sternal index is calculated in 115 adult sternums of confirmed sex (75 male and 40 female) for sexual dimorphism. The sternal index is derived by dividing the length of manubrium by the length of mesosternum and multiplying it by 100. Although the sternal index is found to be significantly higher in females, the analysis suggests that sex determination cannot be made conclusively from the sternal index in the Maharashtra region of western India. The study further concludes that the applicability of Hyrtl's law in sex determination is limited.