Assessment of Sex and Stature of Unknown Skeletal Remains: Cerrahpaşa Anatomy Collection

Abstract

Objective: Human skeletal parts are used in medical schools for anatomy education. Bones show the characteristics there are informative for deceased people. Anthropologist also used in the similar bones to assess by using metric and morphologic techniques to determine identification.The purpose of this investigation is to determine demographic characteristics such as sex and stature of people commingled in laboratories. The technique is less affective on samples with few remains. Material and Methods: The analysis is based on 319 unknown bones macerated from cadavera used in I.U. Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty anayomy labratories. Measurements were taken in mm with an osteometric board, digital and sliding calipers and steel tape. Results: Sex determination is based on humeral and femoral head diameters. Stature was calculated from Trotter’s regression formulae. Results indicated that there were 21 males (stature=166 cm) and 34 females (stature=154 cm) from the humeral head diameter. Results from the femur were 27 males (stature=165 cm) and 34 females (stature=156 cm) from the femoral head diameter. Conclusion: As a result, unknown sex and collection with a good preservation can asist forensic scientist to develop techniques to identify remains found in mass disasters (plane crash, earthquake and similar disasters). Therefore, these remains can be used in forensic anthropological research even though their number is limited and they lack information about the sample. It assists to understand biological nature of a skeletal population.