Research Projects

The application of science to criminal and civil law is known as forensic science. When forensic investigators acquire unidentified skeletal remains from crimes, mass disasters, or natural disasters, it is crucial to determine the gender of the victims. For the identification, it's critical to compare the antemortem and postmortem information.1 In unidentified remains, a variety of body elements, including the skull, pelvis, long bones, sella turcica, foramen magnum, mandibular ramus, and paranasal sinuses, are utilized to identify gender.2 The maxillary sinuses (MS) can be utilized for identification because they are the only bones in burned bodies whose size and shape are preserved, while other bones may have severe disfigurement. The MS varies in size and shape among different ethnicities, genders, and people. Apart from pathological conditions, paranasal sinus diameters are generally recognized to stay constant until death.3 The greatest separation between the most conspicuous spots on the left and right zygomatic arches is known as the bizygomatic width (BZW). It is measured using the CBCT's axially reconstructed picture. BZW appears to have been inherited as a partly dominant characteristic. For racial and gender determination, the racial mean of BZW alone or the ratio of this measure to head length can be utilized.4 The gold standard techniques for determining the actual anatomy of the Highmore's antrum are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, their application is constrained by high radiation doses, limited financial resources, or limited accessibility.5The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology allowed measurements of the MS volume and quantification of craniofacial structures with less radiation exposure than with CT scans and at a lower cost than with MRI and enable 3D simulation, making it possible to create a realistic depiction of the patient's skull. In this present study, a total of 100 (50 males and 50 females) CBCT scans of bilateral maxillary sinuses age ranged 20 to 60 years obtained in the department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Surendera Dental College & Research Institute, Sriganganagar (Rajasthan) will be selected. Parameters such as width of maxillary sinus (in mm), height of maxillary sinus (in mm), volumetric analysis of maxillary sinuses (in mm3), bizygomatic distance (in mm), intermaxillary distance (in mm) and total distance across both maxillary sinuses (in mm) will be recorded. With this study, I will try to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of CBCT in determining maxillary sinus dimensions & Bizygomatic width measurement as a method for gender identification.