Sex Determination From Scapula Using 3-D Computed Tomography in Sample of Sohag Governorate Population

One of the most difficult areas of forensic science is identifying individuals. Accurate sex estimation based on measurements of dimorphic dimensions in unknown human remains is a crucial first step toward making individual identification.

the most accurate approach to determine sex by bone size is based on os coxae or skull. After natural disaster their presence can never be guaranteed, therefore the development of methods of sex determination using other skeletal elements is crucial.

The scapula is a paired short bone that will be researched in this study. The decision to focus on the scapula was made in the first place because of its minor morphological alterations after growing is complete. Second, short and flat bones appear to be better maintained than lengthy bones, which are frequently fractured, scattered, and mixed together.

Scapular muscle attachments provide protection to the bone making it difficult to fracture or break .

Comparative studies on different populations have shown population-specific results in the discriminant function equations for sex estimation.

There is significant population variation due to sexual dimorphism in the growth rate and developmental process of human beings. Genetics play an important role in this variation. Nevertheless, environmental factors, nutrition, secular changes and diseases also play an important role in sexual dimorphism .

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Sex Discrimination
• Intervention / Treatment: Radiation: computed tomography

Detailed Description

One of the most difficult areas of forensic science is identifying individuals. Accurate sex estimation based on measurements of dimorphic dimensions in unknown human remains is a crucial first step toward making individual identification. the most accurate approach to determine sex by bone size is based on os coxae or skull. After natural disaster their presence can never be guaranteed, therefore the development of methods of sex determination using other skeletal elements is crucial.The scapula is a paired short bone that will be researched in this study. The decision to focus on the scapula was made in the first place because of its minor morphological alterations after growing is complete. Second, short and flat bones appear to be better maintained than lengthy bones, which are frequently fractured, scattered, and mixed together. Comparative studies on different populations have shown population-specific results in the discriminant function equations for sex estimation. There is significant population variation due to sexual dimorphism in the growth rate and developmental process of human beings. Genetics play an important role in this variation. Nevertheless, environmental factors, nutrition, secular changes and diseases also play an important role in sexual dimorphism. The first study that used the scapula in sex estimation was conducted by Dwight in 1894.

Dwight measured the height of the glenoid fossae and maximum scapular length of 123 patients (84 males and 39 females),Dwight's method showed that the scapular height had a high predictive value.

In 2010, Dabbs and Moore-Jansen applied the 23 parameter method to 803 individuals of the Hamann-Todd collection in their study and showed that the overall accuracy of this method was 95.7%.

studies reveal that the use of Computed tomography (CT) images increases accuracy and reproducibility over traditional methods in establishing a biological profile .

even though there is evidence of sexual dimorphism in the scapula according to several published studies, the validity of scapula for sex estimation has not been explored in depth in modern population where a general lack of contemporary osteometric databases noted.

in this paper , this study is presented in order to test the efficacy of scapula to serve as sex indicator for forensic purposes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Dalia M Khalaf, demonstrator; Phone Number: 01050116734; Email: dalia011081@med.sohag.edu.eg
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Maha A Helal, professor

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Sohag, Egypt
    • Recruiting
    • Sohag University
    • Contact: Osama R Elsherief, Professor; Email: portal@med.sohag.edu.eg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• persons above 25 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cases below 25 years
• scapular, vertebral fractures
• growth disorders
• severe osteoporosis
• tumor
• arthritis
• previous orthopedic surgery
• infection

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Adult male; CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.	Radiation: computed tomography; CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.
Active Comparator: Adult female; CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.	Radiation: computed tomography; CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum scapular length	the parameter measured The length between the highest point of superior angle and lowest point of inferior angle via software program . All CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.	12 Months
Scapular breadth	the parameter measured from the middle of the dorsal border of glenoid fossa to the end of spinal axis on the vertebral border. via software program All CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.	12 Months
Maximum length of spine	the parameter measured From the medial border of the scapula at the spinous axis to the most lateral point on the scapular spine via software program . All CT scans will be obtained from patients lying in a supine position using 120 kV tube voltage, 150 effective mA and 1 mm slice thickness parameters.	12 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sohag University
• Investigators: Study Director: maha A Helal, professor, Faculty of medicine sohag university

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• O'Bright L, Peckmann TR, Meek S. Is "Latin American" population-specific? Testing sex discriminant functions from the Mexican tibia on a Chilean sample. Forensic Sci Int. 2018 Jun;287:223.e1-223.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.03.046. Epub 2018 Apr 4.
• Ubelaker DH, DeGaglia CM. Population variation in skeletal sexual dimorphism. Forensic Sci Int. 2017 Sep;278:407.e1-407.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.06.012. Epub 2017 Jun 19.
• Papaioannou VA, Kranioti EF, Joveneaux P, Nathena D, Michalodimitrakis M. Corrigendum to "Sexual dimorphism of the scapula and the clavicle in a contemporary Greek population: Applications in forensic identification" [Forensic Sci. Int. 217 (2012) 231.e1-231.e7]. Forensic Sci Int. 2017 Jan;270:183. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.12.012. Epub 2016 Dec 16. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): July 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): July 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 25, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): August 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 5, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2021
• Last Verified: August 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: Soh-Med-21-07-15

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Yes
• IPD Plan Description: The present study aims to investigate sexual dimorphism of the scapula and establish metric standards and databases for sex estimation in a Sohag population sample
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: in july 2023
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Data will be gathered and analyzed using the mean, mode, and standard deviation by using SPSS program to compare mean differences between the sexes. The statistical difference will be done to compare two groups of parametric data by student - t-test .
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: Study Protocol; Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP); Informed Consent Form (ICF); Clinical Study Report (CSR); Analytic Code

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No