ASSESSING SEXUAL DIMORPHISMIN MANDIBULAR FLEXURES IN THE SOUTH INDIAN POPULATION: A NOVEL RADIOLOGIC APPROACH IN A HOSPITAL SETTING

Background: Loth and Henneberg studied the flexure of the mandible in a subjective grading system later modified by actual measurements by Lin. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of mandibular flexure angles in sex estimation in panoramic radiographs of the South Indian population. Material and methods: The study involved the collection of J70 digital panoramic radiographs from males and 170 from females aged fifteen to twenty-five years. The canonical variate scores, centroids, and discriminant function equations were analyzed. Results: The analysis revealed significant differences in the left and right antegonion angles between males and females (p=0.001 for both). Females exhibited higher mean angles for both left (170.88°) and right (171.48°), respectively, compared to males (166.95° and 168.01°, respectively). Conclusion: The analysis also revealed that the mandibular flexures can be used efficiently to test muscle activity in forensic and anthropological settings.