Background: Age estimation and gender determination of the skeletal remains are of paramount importance in forensic dentistry. The mandible is a largely dimorphic bone in the skull and largely recovered intact. Hence digital analysis using orthopantomogram and pattern analysis using fractal may aid as a potential tool for forensic determination.
Aim: Age estimation and gender determination using digital measurements and fractal dimension (FD) analysis from orthopantomogram.
Materials and methods: 20 orthopantomographic images (10 males and 10 females) were selected with age correlation. The digital measurements (bilateral upper ramus breadth, lower ramus breadth, gonial angle, coronoid height and condylar height) were directly measured from SIDEXIS XG- Sirona. The fractal analysis of the bilateral condyle, parasymphysis, and angle were performed using ImageJ software.
Results and discussion: The bilateral gonial angles had significant correlation, and multiple regression analysis was elucidated for age. R2 value denoted the variance in the age as revealed change by 87.6%. The bivariate test shows that actual age and predicted age very strongly correlated (r=0.936). The bilateral condylar height had significant correlation with gender, and discriminant function formula / Wilks’ lambda analysis was evaluated. The bilateral condylar fractal dimension was significantly inversely related to age using Pearson’s correlation. The fractal dimension values of parasymphysis and angle were greater than of the condyle in the females compared to males.
Conclusion: The condylar height and coronoid height can aid as an adjunct forensic tool for gender determination and the gonial angle for age estimation by further analysis including the geographic and regional variations. The condylar bone density patterns and alterations with age can be considered as a factor in forensic analysis even with remnants of mandible.