A Study on the Estimation of Stature and Determination of Sex from Clavicles in Western Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore Region)

Identity means fixing the individuality of a person with pre-fixed findings or data. Identification of an individual whether living or dead is very important in day to day life, Sex determination and stature estimation are essential for forensic identification in skeletonised and mutilated human bodies. The forensic experts are to try to find and establishing the identity of the dead person especially in mass disasters like Tsunami, floods, earth quakes, fire accidents, explosions, ship wrecks, air crash and railway accidents. It is easier to get when the whole body or entire skeleton is available. In cases of deliberate mutilation and disposal in parts, interference by wild animals and bomb blast by terrorist attack, recovery of the whole body or complete skeleton may not be possible. This study is determine stature and sex from CLAVICLE -superficial bones and spared even in highly decomposed body by various features of clavicle. A study of 100 clavicles of age between 25 and 60 years, both morphological and dimensional features were carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Coimbatore Medical College. Linear regression formulae were derived for male 9.97 x (Clavicular length) + 24.14, for female (6.73 x Clavicular length)+ 68.8. The results showed a definite correlation between dimensional features like length and stature of the individual. The percentage of accuracy in sex determination from clavicle will be more, if examined along with other bones. The dimensional or morphological differences in the clavicle of both sexes became evident even before adolescent age. The accuracy of determination of stature in male bones 85%; in female bones 88%. The accuracy of determination of sex in the case of male bones 92.5% : female bones 85%.