Igbigbi P S, Msamati B C
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi.
East Afr Med J. 2000 Sep;77(9):514-6.
To determine the ischiopubic index in adult black Malawians.
A retrospective study on patients investigated in two hospitals and skeletal specimens from the College of Medicine, University of Malawi.
Radiographs of pelvis were collected from the archives of Queen Elizabeth Central and Seventh Day Adventist Hospitals in Blantyre city and available skeletal specimens from the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi.
Antero-posterior x-ray films of pelvis of 255 adult subjects aged between 18 and 65 years were studied.
The ischio-pubic index was used to determine the sex of the individuals.
The mean ischio-pubic index of females was significantly greater than that of males (p<0.001). The mean length of female pubis was significantly longer than for males (p<0.001), and similarly the mean length of the ischium in males was significantly longer than that of females (p<0.001). Using the x-ray films, sex could be accurately assigned to 87.8% of males and 100% of females while with the skeletal bones, sex could be assigned to 92.3% males and 100% females.
The ischio-pubic index was used to determine sex in adult black Malawians. We recommend this simple and less sophisticated method in medico-legal cases in Africa and other developing countries.
