Sexual dimorphism of foramen magnum and occipital condyles using cone beam computed tomography: A morphometric study

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether sexual dimorphism of the morphometric measurements of foramen magnum (FM) and occipital condyles (OC) may be recognized using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images in a Brazilian population. Methods 309 CBCT scans (162 females; 147 males) were retrospectively selected and morphometric measurements were performed in both FM and OC (length, width, FM index and two calculated areas), totaling 10 parameters. All data were submitted to correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient), descriptive (independent Student t test) and discriminant functional analysis to validate the expression of sexual dimorphism in the metric parameters of FM and OC (p Results Excepted for the FM index, the measurements were higher in males (p Discussion and conclusion The morphometric measurements of FM and OC in CBCT exams are useful for sex estimation in adult Brazilians. OC parameters were more reliable individual discriminants, and when multiple parameters were combined, the highest accuracy was achieved.