Estimation of Sex from Hyoid Bone: A Preliminary Study with Medico-Legal Implications

Determination of sex from analysis of human skeletal remains has been an age old problem and represents a crucial stage in any forensic study. The hyoid bone is of considerable medico-legal interest owing to its susceptibility to fracture during many forms of neck compression and is considered as a useful mean for sex estimation in forensic investigations. The aim of this study was to find out the utility of the hyoid bone in estimation of sex based on selected anthropometric parameters in a Saudi population sample. It is a prospective study on medico-legal autopsy cases in Morgue Department in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia comprised 66 Saudi cadavers (36 males and 30 females) and comprised 11 anthropometric parameters. The results showed that the values of the measured hyoid bone parameters are statistically higher in males than in females except two parameters (right and left angle of lesser cornua) and statistically higher significant difference in males than females in the measurements except four parameters (right and left maximum width of the proximal end of the greater cornua & right and left angle of lesser cornua). The maximum sexual dimorphism was recorded for the maximum body length and total hyoid length. The results revealed overall accuracy rates ranged from (63.2% in females to 93.79% in males for hyoid body length (BL) and 65.68% in females to 100% in males for total hyoid length (THL) and concluded that the hyoid bone showed sexual dimorphism.