Role of Patellar Imaging using 3D Computed Tomography in Determination of Sex and Stature in Upper Egypt Population

Objective: Patella has been studied for the purpose of sex determination in many cadaveric studies. Since several studies have been demonstrated that discriminant function and linear regression equations used to determine the sex and stature of a skeleton are population specific, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the capability of computed tomography of patella of living subjects to identify sex and stature in Egyptians. Subjects and Methods: Seven measurements were taken in this study. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16. All measurements showed significant sexual differences (P < 0.05). Maximal thickness gave a highest percentage of accuracy in sex determination (85.9%). By linear regression analysis, the most accurate variable that can predict stature in males was maximal height (R=0.933) followed by maximal thickness (R=0.915). Maximal height can also accurately predict stature in females (R=0.965) followed by maximal breadth of patella (R=0.942). Conclusion: Finally, it is concluded that patella of Egyptian population is a useful tool for sex and stature identification.