The Value of Foramen Magnum Diameters for Gender Identification Among Iranian Population

By assessing the size of the foramen magnum, it is possible to distinguish two genders, as well as the intergenerational interdependence of the affected individuals. The present study aimed at assessing the value of diameters of foramen magnum for gender identification among the Iranian population.

This analytical comparative cross-sectional study was performed on 200 Iranian cadavers (100 men and 100 women) referred to Kahrizak Autopsy Hall in Tehran between 2017 and 2018. In each case, the foramen magnum was measured by observation and its parameters were measured in a longitudinal anteroposterior and transverse diameter, using a calibrated caliper.

The Mean±SD anterior-posterior diameter of the foramen magnum in men and women were 35.59±0.49 mm and 33.90±1.07 mm, respectively, which was significantly higher in men (P<0.001). Similarly, the Mean±SD transverse diameter of the foramen magnum in males and females was 29.49±0.56 mm and 28.5±0.50 mm, respectively, which was significantly higher in men (P<0.001). Based on the area analysis under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the anterior-posterior and transverse diameters of the foramen magnum had a high value in the differentiation of the male and female genders (AUC=0.953 and 0.896, respectively, P<0.001). The Mean±SD foramen magnum index in men and women was 84.15±3.02 and 82.87±1.95, respectively, which had a significant difference between the two genders.

Given that the anterior-posterior and transverse diameters of the foramen magnum in Iranian men are far more than Iranian women, these diameters can be used to distinguish between the two genders in the precise legal field.