THE CLAVICLE AS A FORENSIC TOOL: SEX-DISCRIMINATORY CHARACTERISTICS IN CADAVERIC SAMPLES OF NIGERIA ORIGIN

Abstract

One of the simplest values that can be determined from the skeleton is sex; the accuracy is greater if essential parts are intact. Discriminant functional analysis is the most popular statistical method implored in sex determination and this has encouraged the accurate assessment of anthropometric data. This study was carried out to evaluate the sex-discriminatory characteristics of the clavicle of Nigerian origin. 45 clavicles (comprising of 25 males and 20 females) of both sides were macerated from dissected cadavers from the Anatomy Departments of the University of Port Harcourt Rivers State, Igbinedion University Okada, Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma both in Edo State and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Enugu State. Clavicles with signs of deformity and/or fracture were excluded. Parameters obtained from the clavicle included; length, weight mid-shaft circumference, robustness index, angles, and volume. The measurements obtained were subjected to SPSS (IBM version 23.0, Armonk, USA) paired sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation analysis to evaluate side difference and level of correlates respectively while Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) was used to evaluate the accuracy of the parameters in estimating sex. Confidence level was set at 95%, and P-value <0.05 was taken to be significant. The result showed high sex differences in the measurement (P<0.01) as well as sex-differentiated correlation in the left and right clavicular measurement (r2; 79 – 98%; P<0.01), The parameters of the right and left clavicle were highly significant with positive correlation at varying degree for total population studied. The extent of correlation (80-99%) between the L & R clavicular measurements informed the need for side-specific DFA. The R & L clavicles produced centroid values of 1.522 and 1.290 for males and –2.537 and-2.150 for females respectively. The accuracy in predicting group membership using the right clavicular parameters was 91.5% while the left was 87.0%, with a better prediction for females. The estimation of sex from the clavicle of Nigerian origin is at least 87% possible using the studied clavicular characteristics.